


Lion's Heart

by wolfandwild



Series: Lion of the Alliance [3]
Category: Warcraft - All Media Types, World of Warcraft, World of Warcraft - Various Authors
Genre: Action/Adventure, Adventure & Romance, Eventual Romance, F/M, Male-Female Friendship, World of Warcraft: Warlords of Draenor Spoilers
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-10-15
Updated: 2017-10-15
Packaged: 2019-01-17 17:31:46
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 20
Words: 57,250
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/12370575
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/wolfandwild/pseuds/wolfandwild
Summary: Despite the growing feelings between them, High King Varian Wrynn and Auriana Fenwild agree to go their separate ways. Nevertheless, Varian finds himself once again drawn to his fierce mage-commander, even as she fights to defend the Alliance from the twin threats of the Iron Horde and the ogres of Highmaul...





	1. Auriana

**Author's Note:**

> This work has previously been published on Fanfiction.net, though I'm currently in the process of cross-posting the entire series to AO3.
> 
> I intend to do some fairly major revisions and expansions to the series in future (particularly to the first two/three volumes), but for now this will have to do!

Auriana Fenwild, Commander of Lunarfall Garrison, crouched low amongst the masonry of Highmaul. Beside her, her personal bodyguard Delvar Ironfist was similarly hidden. Highmaul was the jewel of the Gorian Empire, and it stood as a testament to the power and majesty of ogre civilisation at its pinnacle. Auriana's garrison, along with Vindicator Yrel's draenei forces, had stormed the ogre stronghold early the previous morning. They'd also been joined by a number of mages from the Kirin Tor, whose services had been graciously loaned to Auriana by the Archmage Jaina Proudmoore. It was currently late afternoon, and the Alliance forces were weary from a long two days of fighting. Spirits still ran high, however, as they had secured victory after victory over the guardians of Highmaul's outer gates. Most notably, her forces had defeated Kargath Bladefist of the Shattered Hand in Highmaul's infamous gladiatorial arena.

Auriana had savoured their triumph over one of the leaders of the Iron Horde, but Kargath was not her primary target. Not that Kargath's head was an insignificant prize, of course, but her real goal in Highmaul was to secure a number of magical artifacts in order to further Khadgar's pursuit of the warlock Gul'Dan. Chief among these artifacts was the Sigil of the Sorcerer King, a powerful item held by the ogre leader, Imperator Mar'gok. Mar'gok used his considerable arcane abilities to rule over Highmaul with an iron fist, and he was currently holed up in his citadel. Curiously, he had not yet deigned to address the army standing at his gates, though Auriana wasn't one to argue with her good fortune. She suspected that there were powerful enchantments protecting the citadel entrance, but she had more immediate problems to deal with before breaching the citadel proper.

One of those problems now stood directly in front of her. Both she and her dour death knight companion were hidden behind a long stretch of wall, looking out at one of the strangest creatures Auriana had ever seen. The rest of her army were well back, marshalling in one of the large open courtyards that made up the outskirts of Highmaul, while Auriana and Ironfist scouted further forwards.

"What is  _that_?" Ironfist breathed.

"I have no idea…" Auriana said, somewhat awestruck. "It looks like an earth elemental of sorts, but… it's huge… and… malformed…"

She'd seen many strange creatures in her time on both Draenor and Azeroth, but this had to be one of the oddest. The creature was  _massive_. It looked like someone had simply carved a slab off the side of a mountain and then given it legs. It had strange, glowing outcrops of rock on its arms and shoulders, and its yawning maw was molten gold. The ground trembled with every slow step the creature took, as it paced broodingly around the terrace.

"How big do ye reckon it is?" Ironfist whispered.

"Thirty feet? Forty?" Auriana guessed, trying to estimate based on the surrounding environment.

"What are we goin' to do about it, Commander?"

"Well, it looks like we're going to have to go through it… whatever  _it_  is..." she said thoughtfully, her mind racing.

She pointed to a glowing blue whorl faintly visible behind the elemental's considerable bulk.

"That's a portal into the citadel," she said. "If we want to get inside, that's where we need to go."

"So we're takin' on that lump o' mountain, then," Ironfist grinned, absentmindedly touching the haft of his axe. "'Bout time we had a real challenge, aye Commander?"

"You might want to temper your enthusiasm until I come up with some sort of a plan for dealing with that thing," Auriana said drily. "Come on, let's get back to the staging area."

Staying low, they carefully withdrew from their hiding position. The great stone creature seemed not to have been disturbed by their departure, though vaguely Auriana wondered if it would actually  _notice_ anything smaller than a boulder. Once they were out of the elemental's immediate radius, she and Ironfist broke into a brisk jog, and they soon arrived back at the temporary staging grounds.

Auriana waved over Lieutenant Barrett Gale, who was acting as second in command of the Alliance forces in the Highmaul assault. Gale was one of her best battlefield lieutenants, and he had been instrumental in executing her strategy for the takedown of Kargath Bladefist. He was a hard-faced, strapping warrior, and he looked very impressive in his heavy, shining plate.

"Who's next, Commander?" he asked, tapping an eager hand on the hilts of his twin blades.

"Er…  _what's_ next is probably a better question," she said, quickly explaining what she knew of their upcoming foe.

She rapidly developed a strategy for the encounter, based on her previous experience in fighting elementals. Without any other information to go on, she hoped it would be a sufficient method of countering the creature, but to a certain degree they would have to adapt the fight as it went on. Gale and Ironfist quickly disseminated her orders amongst the ranks, and soon she was leading her forces into battle with a wild and joyful cry.

Any strategy she had developed went out the window the moment they engaged the elemental. The creature bellowed ferociously at the audacity of the intruders, and the ground began to heave beneath their feet. Great upthrusts of rock burst from the ground, seemingly at random, and Auriana's battalion were soon on the back foot. They scattered desperately, and soon it was nearly impossible to see more than three feet as the air was filled with flying dust and rock.

Auriana blinked around the battlefield, trying to avoid the sudden and unpredictable rock bursts. Delvar Ironfist had managed to lead a group of soldiers wearing plate armour to the vanguard, but much of the rest of her forces were cut off by the flying grit and stone. Ironfist's group were harrying the creature's legs, chunking deep gouges of rock with their axes and swords while dancing around the creature's flailing arms. The creature appeared to be made of solid rock, and a single hit from one of the pounding limbs could easily break a man's back, plate or no. Off to the side, a group of shaman worked diligently, using powerful blasts of magma to soften the creature's rocky back for the subsequent bite of cold steel.

For her part, Auriana worked to conjure great bursts of solid ice, trying to restrict the creature's movements. She'd bound two water elementals to her service, and they tirelessly aided her efforts to hold the thing in place. A number of the Kirin Tor mages had also joined in her assault, though their collective might appeared to have had little real effect. The creature was almost unimaginably strong, and its pounding limbs shattered the ice as almost as quickly as they could make it.

The combined assault inevitably took its toll, however. As the fight wore on, Auriana could see the creature's movements become sluggish, and it was easier to hold the slab of a thing in place. Auriana's forces were flagging as well, but they fought with renewed vigour as it appeared their efforts were finally bringing the creature down. The elemental's front left limb had been hewn near through by her warriors, paladins, and death knights, and Auriana could see the creature stagger every time it tried to put weight forwards. Ironfist had seen the same weakness, and he was quick to take advantage. He swung his axe in one final, devastating blow, and one of the creature's limbs simply  _cracked_  in half, sending chunks of rock flying everywhere.

"Take that, beastie!" Ironfist crowed triumphantly, as the creature howled and tumbled to one side.

A number of lithe, fleet-footed rogues took the opportunity to leap up on to the creature's back, and finished it off with a flurry of perfectly aimed strikes to the beast's head and neck. With a final rumbling sigh, the elemental collapsed into the dirt, unmoving, and the wild heaving of the earth subsided.

Auriana brushed some of the grit out of her eyes and strode cautiously forward. Her normally dark hair was now sandy brown, and her silver-white skin had been given an impromptu dust tan. Ahead of her, Ironfist gave the fallen creature a poke with his axe. It didn't move, and he raised the weapon in triumph. A great cry went up from the Alliance forces at his gesture, only to fade a second later as the creature's corpse made a strange cracking noise.

"Get back!" Auriana yelled, and her men complied at once.

The ground roiled once more, and many of her soldiers were knocked off their feet at the unexpected movement. The massive corpse of the elemental shuddered, and with a scream of rending rock and clouds of grit, the creature actually split  _in two_. From the rubble, two smaller creatures emerged, each with the same distinctive appearance of the original elemental, though roughly half the size. These creatures were clearly not as dead as the larger elemental that had spawned them, and they appeared to be very, very angry.

"Ironfist!" she hollered, seeing one elemental move to charge her healers. "Pick him up!"

The dwarf death knight moved immediately, sending a wave of death energy to distract and engage one of the duplicate creatures. The second slammed its rocky foot against the ground, sending tremors racing across the terrace, as it prepared to charge Auriana's own position. She was so busy concentrating on the whereabouts of her allied mages that she moved a second too slowly, and a fissure opened up right under her feet. She tried to dodge, but her ankle caught in the crack in the earth, and she tumbled to her knees, unable to move. The second, smaller creature was now heading directly towards her, bellowing fiercely as it charged.

Auriana yanked on her foot frantically, trying to free her ankle from the crack, but it appeared her bootstrap had caught on a rock. The creature was gaining ground rapidly, and in a moment of horror, Auriana realised that she was going to be trampled into dust.

With little recourse, Auriana closed her eyes against her inevitable doom, only to open them in surprise a second later when nothing happened. There had been no hideous crunch of bone as the creature ploughed into her, nor the empty blackness of unconsciousness. She looked about wildly, and realised that Barrett Gale had successfully managed to divert the creature away from her, his dual swords glinting in the afternoon sun.

As Auriana shook her head dazedly, there was a bright flash of light, and a second mage appeared. Auriana blinked, recognising her friend Kinzie Swiftspanner. The gnome mage's hands were much smaller and nimbler than Auriana's own, and she soon freed Auriana's trapped foot.

"Get up, Auri!" Kinzie urged, turning her attention back to the battle as soon as she was satisfied that Auriana had been freed.

Auriana needed no encouragement, and she hurled herself to her feet. She instantly resummoned her water elementals, and turned to deal with the new threat. Her men were well-trained and responsive, and they had already organised themselves into two efficient groups to manage the elementals.

Although the split elementals were smaller than the original colossus, they were much more difficult to deal with. They both seemed to have the ability to summon the sudden upthrusts of rock that had made the initial fight so challenging. Many of her soldiers had been knocked out of the way by the quick moving rocks, but those who had managed to maintain their footing had learned from the previous fight, and were successfully employing a similar strategy against the two smaller creatures.

The current fight was shorter than the first, as her men refined their tactics, but they suffered more casualties. Eventually, however, both creatures tumbled into the dirt with identical bellows of pain, before lying still. The earth ceased its tormented heaving once more, but Auriana remained unconvinced.

"Keep your distance," she ordered, keeping a spell primed on her fingertips.

The two small elementals appeared to be as dead as their predecessor, but she had a healthy scepticism honed by years of battle experience. Her suspicions were confirmed mere moments later, as the rumbling in the earth started up again, and suddenly  _four_  elementals stood before her, howling their rage against the sky.

 _Just my luck_ , she sighed, sprinting forwards to engage the nearest creature.

"Do ye think they'll split again?" Ironfist screamed at her, weaving desperately in and amongst the pounding fists of a single elemental.

" _Why_  would I know that?" Auriana yelled back, thoroughly occupied by her own shardling.

She tumbled sideways into the dirt as a rock exploded inches from her feet, and she caught sight of a young draenei shaman working frantically to bring down the elemental pack. Something dimly registered in the back of her brain as she stared at him, trying to refocus her eyes.

 _Shaman,_  she realised.

She blinked to the draenei's side, grasped him firmly by the collar, and dragged him behind a rock pillar for protection. For a small woman, she was surprisingly strong, and he put up little resistance.

"How many more splits will we have to endure?" she asked, not mincing her words.

"I… I don't know…" the shaman stammered, recoiling from her intensity.

"Use your connection to the elements," she ordered him, her hand still grasping her collar. "Concentrate."

The shaman closed his eyes, trying to ignore the flying rock and grit and the endless heaving of the earth.

"It seems… it seems to be made of very primal energies, the sort of energies used in the initial creation of Draenor," he said finally. "But the elemental forces that hold it together fading… I think… I think this perhaps is the last split, or perhaps only one more."

His glowing eyes flew open.

"I'm sorry, Commander, I can't give you more," he said apologetically.

Auriana released him from her grasp.

"Just as long as this thing won't divide infinitely," she said, her attention returning to the raging battle. "This is getting out of control."

"No. I'm confident of that," the shaman assured her. "The creature's elemental energy is finite."

"Good," Auriana said. "Let's end this."

As one, mage and shaman stepped out from behind the safety of the rock pillar. Ironfist and her other heavy infantry had managed to shepherd the elementals into a corner, and Auriana saw her chance. She lifted her hands and called down a raging blizzard. At her side, the shaman summoned down a lightning storm of his own. Several other casters also picked up on the strategy, and soon the elementals were crushed under a barrage of frost, lighting, and crackling fire.

For several long minutes, nobody moved as they stared at the fallen creatures. Everything was silent and still, even the once-tortured earth, but Auriana could see that her men were ready to fight at a moment's notice. Everyone was covered in a thick layer of dirt and debris, and many weapons had been shattered against the immovable stone of the elementals.

Nearly twenty minutes passed before Auriana was satisfied that no more creatures would rise from the ground.

"Stand down," she ordered, her voice echoing off the stone walls of the terrace. "I think we're done here."

She breathed a sigh of relief, and allowed herself to relax for the first time all day.

"Tend to the wounded," she added, as she strode over to the bright blue portal that marked the entrance to Mar'gok's citadel.

Auriana wasn't especially sensitive to this sort of magic, but her arcane instincts hummed as she approached the portal. She summoned all her concentration, and reached out a tentative hand. At her spell command, bright runes shimmered in the air, detailing the parameters of the portal spell. Ogre magic was a curious blend of the familiar and the entirely alien. It would be difficult to explain to someone who had never known magic, but she might have likened it to speaking the same language with the words out of order.

She could tell instantly that Highmaul citadel was protected by both ancient and powerful magics. Auriana sighed. The spellwork around the portal was extremely complex, and a brute force attack would likely prove catastrophic. This wasn't her area of expertise, but she knew it would take significant, careful work to breach the protections surrounding the inner sanctum of Highmaul.

She beckoned the senior Kirin Tor mage over. Elwin Lansing was a short, heavily built man who looked more like he should be a brawler than a mage. He was about ten years Auriana's senior, and he was particularly gifted with arcane magic. She'd never served with him before, but so far he had lived up to Jaina Proudmoore's assurances of both skill and dependability. If anyone was able to break the invisible barrier surrounding Highmaul, it was likely to be Lansing.

"I don't think we're getting through here tonight," she observed, nodding to the setting sun.

"Almost certainly not," Lansing concurred, conducting his own inspection of the ogre spellwork. "I doubt we'll be able to crack this inside a week, if I'm being honest. Certainly not without considerable risk to those attempting to break the spells. This is some  _fearsome_  magic, and not at all the type of thing one should rush."

"That's what I thought," Auriana said, biting her lip in frustration. "We'll have to pull it apart one enchantment at a time. Not tonight, however, we all need to rest. Could you arrange teams of mages to start work on it tomorrow? We need to get inside as soon as possible, I don't want to give Mar'gok time to build up his defenses"

"Of course," Lansing said, clearly eager to test his abilities against those of the Gorian mages. "I'll see to it at once."

"I'm going to have my men set up camp lower down in the terraces, so we'll also need some magical shields in case the Imperator decides to come out and play," she added.

Lansing nodded, and she could see him already thinking and planning as he went back to report to the rest of the Kirin Tor mages.

"Lieutenant!" she called out to her second, once Lansing had departed.

Barrett Gale hastened to her side, looking as dusty as she felt. Only his bright green eyes were untouched. He grinned broadly as he approached.

"Good show, Commander," he said enthusiastically. "At the rate we're going, we'll have Mar'gok's head in time for dinner tomorrow!"

"Slow down, Gale. Taking the citadel will be no simple task," she said ruefully. "It's going to take our mages some time to break through the magical protections around the citadel, so it looks like we're now engaged in a siege. Pull half our forces back to Lunarfall, including the wounded, but leave the remainder here to hold the outer gates. I doubt we'll have much resistance in holding this position, but I won't risk losing the ground we've gained so far."

She gestured to the group of Kirin Tor mages, now receiving their own instructions from Lansing.

"Keep a couple of the mages with you in case you need to open a portal between here and the garrison. Just say the word and I'll have troops sent through at once. The Kirin Tor will also offer you magical protection from any sort of counterattack," Auriana continued.

"How long do you expect it will take?" Gale asked.

He radiated excitable energy, and she had to fight not to get swept up in his enthusiasm for battle.

"This sort of magic can be tricky, but we should have the portal open in about a week," she explained. "Just in case it takes a while, set up a rotation between here and Lunarfall so that the men don't feel too hard done by when they're stuck on camping duty."

"As you wish, Commander. Do you intend to stay here, or return to Lunarfall?"

"I'll return to Lunarfall," she said. "There are a few other matters that need my attention, and the Kirin Tor mages are far better equipped to deal with this sort of magical conundrum than I am."

"I'm sure you'd do just fine," Gale said, smiling winningly. "Er… Commander."

"That'll be all, Lieutenant…" she said slowly, staring Gale down.

She shook her head as he turned and walked away. Gale was a good officer, but he had a tendency to flirt with anything that moved. Thus far, she'd largely escaped the more exuberant side of his nature, most likely because she was his superior. She idly wondered what had changed.

Her dust-covered soldiers had begun to move, filing neatly down into one of the large lower terraces to set up camp. The Kirin Tor mages were also hard at work, opening wide portals to Lunarfall garrison for those who would be returning straight away. Auriana declined to take one of the available portals, however, instead summoning her own power and teleporting directly into her war room.

She startled a hard-at-work Lieutenant Thorn, the second in command of Lunarfall Garrison. The shocked worgen nearly fell off her chair, and she knocked a large stack of garrison reports on to the floor in her efforts to stay seated.

"Er… sorry," Auriana said, kneeling down to collect the papers and return them to the desk.

"You look like you had some fun, Commander," Thorn said, eyeing Auriana's dust-covered robes.

"Oh, you know me, Thorn," she retorted. "I always have fun."

"I take it the assault went well, then?"

"Very well, in fact," Auriana said, somewhat surprised by her own success. "Outer Highmaul is ours, and we should be able to breach the inner sanctum within the week."

She paused, her eyes skimming over the assorted reports on Thorn's desk.

"What's been going on here?"

"The usual business, mostly," Thorn said. "I've organised the relevant reports for your perusal, whenever you're ready. I respectfully suggest that you have a shower before looking over them, however."

"What would I do without you, Thorn?" Auriana mused, idly flicking through one of the aforementioned documents. "And I concur on the shower. I think my dirt is covered in dirt."

She smiled up at Thorn, and was pleased to see the Lieutenant return the expression in kind.

"This also came for you," Thorn added lightly, handing her a missive marked with the official seal of the King of Stormwind.

Auriana froze. Her earlier confidence and good humour vanished as if she'd been punched in the chest. It had been two months since she'd last seen Varian Wrynn; two months since her fear and doubt had overruled her heart and she had turned him down. She could still remember their searing, aching kiss as if it had happened only moments ago, and she had questioned her decision nearly every day since. Although they'd ostensibly agreed to remain friends, she'd hadn't been able to muster the courage to contact him. He had made no attempt to contact her either - until now.

She turned the note slowly in her hands, and slipped the seal. It was soon apparent that this was not a personal communication, but rather an official summons. Auriana tried very hard to ignore the way her heart fell in her chest at the impersonal tone of the message.

"Might I ask?" Thorn said tentatively.

The worgen lieutenant had no idea what had happened between Varian and Auriana, of course, but she must have had some inkling that they were friends.

"The King wants an update on garrison operations. He's summoned me to Stormwind at my earliest convenience," Auriana said flatly, reading over the note a second time.

"When do you intend to go?" Thorn pressed.

"It will be some time before I'm needed at Highmaul again, I suppose," Auriana said dully. "Ah… send a courier, and let them know I will return to Stormwind tomorrow."

She turned away from Thorn, feeling strangely morose.

"I need to get cleaned up. See that I'm not disturbed, Thorn. Unless it's an emergency, of course," she added. "Goodnight."

"Goodnight, Commander," Thorn added.

Auriana could feel the worgen woman's eyes on her back as she retreated, but she gave it no mind as she walked slowly up the stairs to the still emptiness of her lonely room.


	2. Varian

Varian paced nervously about his war room as he awaited the arrival of his young mage Commander. It had been two long months since Auriana had spurned his advances, in spite of admitting that she returned his feelings. While his clear head could appreciate her reasoning, even as he disagreed with it, the sting of her rejection had not yet entirely faded. Despite having agreed to remain friends, he found it hard to contain his frustration at her obstinance in the matter, certain as he was that there was something deep and powerful between them that yearned to be explored.

He'd summoned her to Stormwind in an official capacity, sensing that any personal overtures may have been poorly received. He  _did_ need to check in with her regarding her progress in Draenor, but he had in part requested her presence out of a selfish desire to see her once more. His own desires had been at war with one another for some time. On one hand, his wounded pride had insisted that they avoid contact entirely, but his growing dissatisfaction with her absence had eventually won out.

Auriana arrived promptly at midday, striding into the room with an assurance that contradicted the nervousness written upon her face. No-one else had yet arrived, and Varian was intensely aware that they were very much alone. She met his gaze briefly as she entered the room, her dazzling cobalt eyes wide and apprehensive. Varian had gone very still, and he realised that he was holding his breath. He'd mulled over her every day for two months, but had been unprepared for the powerful sensation that flooded his body as he beheld her person. Instead of feeling hurt or irritated, however, he was instead relieved and oddly pleased to see her, despite everything that had happened - or not happened - between them.

"Hello," she said finally, breaking the silence.

Auriana moved until she stood about three feet in front of him, but she seemed reluctant to come any closer. She looked to have recovered well from the injury that had last seen her in Stormwind. She looked sharp and commanding in her Alliance officer's uniform. The brilliant blue of her tunic set off the blue of her eyes, and her skin and hair fairly shone with good health.

"It's good to see you," Varian murmured softly, and he was surprised to find that he meant every word.

"You too," she replied cautiously, not quite meeting his eyes.

Her voice was warm, however, and he could see a tentative half-smile tugging at the corners of her mouth. Her expression softened, and she let out an almost imperceptible sigh. For his part, Varian simply stood and stared, having no idea what to say. Everything he could think of seemed woefully inadequate.

"You look bea…" he started, only to hastily backpedal at the stricken look on her face.

Cursing inwardly at his lapse, he made an awkward change of tack.

"You look… uh… very professional," he finished lamely.

"Um… thanks," she said flatly, her brow furrowing in deep confusion.

Varian decided that he should probably keep his mouth firmly shut, instead opting to stand in uncomfortable silence until he was mercifully relieved by the sudden arrival of his son. Varian had been thoroughly surprised when Anduin had indicated an interest in attending Auriana's briefing, but he hadn't protested in the slightest. He welcomed the opportunity to teach his son about the running of the kingdom, and had enthusiastically encouraged Anduin's presence.

"Hello, Auriana," Anduin said brightly, moving to stand beside his father.

Auriana's face broke into a broad smile as she turned her attention to the crown prince. She seemed quite relieved to have an excuse to look away from Varian, and some of the tension visibly left her shoulders.

"I didn't know that you'd be here, Your Highness," Auriana said warmly.

"Well, a prince should have a good understanding of the matters of state," Anduin said cheerfully. "And I suspect it will be rather interesting."

"I'll do my best to oblige you," Auriana promised. "Um… if you'll excuse me, my Lords."

She turned away to prepare her papers, while Varian and Anduin took their seats. As Auriana prepared her presentation, they were joined by several members of the House of Nobles, including Aldous Lescovar and Rohas Anguile. Varian was concerned, though unsurprised, by Anguile's presence. The slender nobleman had clashed with Auriana on a number of occasions, and Varian readied himself for any sign of trouble. The other nobles, however, responded much more positively to Auriana as she began to speak. News of her triumph over Garrosh Hellscream at Grommashar was now common knowledge, and it had garnered her significantly more support. A victorious commander, as it turned out, was a popular one.

Auriana began by providing an overview of the current campaign in Draenor. She discussed the Alliance position in Gorgrond, Talador, Nagrand, and the Spires, before moving on to talk about the Siege of Grommashar in particular. Varian sat back in his chair as Auriana began to speak in earnest, only listening with half an ear. It wasn't that her presentation was uninteresting, but rather that Varian was far more interested in observing her speak, than listening to the particulars of what she had to say.

She looked somehow larger than the last time he'd seen her. Not in terms of size, of course, she would always be tiny… but there was a new steadiness about her eyes and a confidence to her voice that he'd never heard before. She also looked noticeably lighter, as if a great burden had been lifted from her shoulders, and her every precise movement was marked by an elegant, predatory grace. She was powerful and arresting, and despite his best efforts, Varian found himself mesmerised by her presence.

His attention sharpened as her voice abruptly faded, to be replaced by the viperous voice of Rohas Anguile. It appeared that the senior noble had a few questions for Auriana about her actions in Grommashar.

"And what of casualties?" Anguile was saying, in his clipped and sophisticated accent.

"I'm afraid I don't know the exact figures off hand," Auriana answered slowly, her eyes narrowing in suspicion. "However, I believe it was around seven hundred dead, with roughly twice that injured."

"Out of?"

"An assault force of four thousand," she replied.

"That's half the company," Anguile pointed out.

"I'm well aware," she said. "However, given the success of the siege, I would consider those acceptable losses."

"You do realise that these are Alliance men we're talking about, not mere numbers," Anguile challenged her.

Varian frowned, and sat forwards in his chair. Anguile's statement was somewhat confusing, as he'd never shown any particular care for the lives of Alliance servicemen. Varian realised, however, that he was following this line of questioning to get a rise out of Auriana, and he fervently hoped she wouldn't take the bait.

"With respect," she said coldly. "I would think that I know that better than anyone, my Lord. They are  _my_ men. Don't  _ever_ mistake my understanding of military necessity for indifference."

Varian saw her fists clench as she stared Anguile down, but outwardly her face remained calm. He'd asked her about the inevitable burden of command once, when they'd been on friendlier terms, but she had staunchly refused to discuss her dead and wounded. It was a survival mechanism he'd seen amongst many of his officers, and indeed it was a method he himself employed. Raw numbers didn't haunt dreams in quite the same way that remembered faces did. Sending good men to their deaths would ever be the worst part of command, and a commander who could not inure themselves to the pain of those losses would often become paralysed and unable to act. Unfortunately, it didn't help that Auriana was not an emotionally expressive person by nature, and he could understand how her protective coldness might be mistaken for a lack of feeling

"I can assure you none of those men gave their lives in vain," she continued firmly, refusing to entertain Anguile's barbs. "With the capture of Grommashar, we now hold most of western Nagrand, and are in a strong position to hunt down the warlock Gul'Dan."

"I thought the Iron Horde was lead by Grommash Hellscream. Shouldn't he be your primary concern?"

"Hellscream leads the Iron Horde, yes, but in many ways Gul'Dan is the greater threat. I'm sure I don't need to remind you that it was Gul'Dan who lead the orcs to drink the blood of the pit lord Mannoroth in our timeline," she said, a slight note of condescension entering her tone. "And we all know how  _that_ turned out."

Beside Varian, Anduin shifted uncomfortably and sat forwards, no doubt sensitive to the tension now pervading the room. Varian studied his son carefully for a moment, before turning his attention back to the argument between his Commander and her noble antagonist.

"But you know where Hellscream is," Anguile was saying. "Why not assault him, instead of chasing a ghost of a warlock around Draenor?"

"At the moment, our strategy is one of consolidation and containment. When Highmaul falls - and I  _assure_ you, it will - the Iron Horde will be forced to retreat to their strongholds in northern Gorgrond and Tanaan," she explained determinedly. "We will then have the means to hunt Gul'Dan, while also controlling the majority of territory in Draenor. I'm sure even you can appreciate that this is a far stronger position from which to assault Grommash."

"Strange that you are counselling caution, Commander, when you attacked Grommashar so recklessly. How many good men do you intend to throw at the walls of Highmaul in order to reach your goal?" Anguile asked, his thin lips spreading into a cold, predacious smile.

Auriana practically quivered at the remark, and Varian could see bloodthirsty rage burning in her darkened eyes. Nevertheless, she held herself in check with a masterful effort, with only her whitened knuckles betraying her fury. Varian, however, had had more than his fill of Anguile's open insolence.

"Enough," he said quietly, in his most dangerous voice.

Varian rarely had cause to use such a tone, but when he did, people listened. Anguile deflated almost immediately, and Varian grunted with some satisfaction at the look of sudden fear that moved behind his eyes.

"I invited you here out of courtesy, Anguile, but the House of Nobles does not have a direct say in the deployment of the Alliance military. I believe the Commander has answered your questions, and I am more than satisfied with her progress in Draenor," Varian continued, giving the noble a significant look.

"Quite right, Varian," Anguile said smoothly, though he seemed oddly pleased, despite his censure. "I'm sure I'll await your next report with bated breath, Commander."

Varian could practically see Auriana's hackles rise at Anguile's thinly veiled sarcasm, but once again she refrained from any open display of anger. For his part, Anguile offered no further comment, and swept from the room. He was soon followed by the other members of the House of Nobles. Auriana watched them thoughtfully as they left, her nose crinkling in consternation.

"Sorry about that," Varian said, rising from his seat and moving towards Auriana. "He's…"

"An unmitigated ass?" she growled under her breath, running an agitated hand through her hair.

Varian actually laughed, and for an all too brief second a flicker of camaraderie sparked between them. Auriana looked away almost immediately, however, and busied herself with her papers. They fell into another deep, unpleasant silence. Varian was suddenly very aware of his hands, of all things, and tucked them awkwardly into the pockets of his breeches.

"Um… if that's all, Your Majesty, I should take my leave," Auriana said finally, tucking her papers under one arm as she prepared to depart.

Varian frowned at her use of his title. It had taken so long for her to do something so simple as use his first name, and now it appeared they were right back where they started. Once again, he felt the cloying, oppressive presence of an invisible wall between them, and he sighed in disappointment. He probably should have expected her indifference, despite her request to remain friends, but it pained him nonetheless.

Seeing no other options, he opened his mouth to grant her request, when he started at the sound of Anduin loudly clearing his throat. Varian had entirely forgotten that his son was even in the room, and suddenly he felt more awkward by an order of magnitude.

"I was wondering if  _I_  might have a word with you, Commander," Anduin said lightly. "If you have a few minutes to spare?"

Varian gazed at his son curiously. He had no idea what Anduin might want from Auriana. As far as he was aware, his son and the commander had only spoken once before, on the night of the Winter's Veil Ball, and he couldn't imagine what else they might have to discuss. Auriana raised her eyebrows in surprise at Anduin's request and exchanged a quick look with Varian, who shrugged. Anduin hadn't mentioned anything about this previously, and Varian was in the dark as much as Auriana appeared to be.

"Of course, Your Highness," she said tentatively, slowly placing her reports back down on the desk in front of her.

Anduin grinned, apparently ignorant of her discomfort.

"Please, take a seat," he said. "This won't take long."


	3. Anduin

Auriana cautiously lowered herself into a nearby chair, and gazed at Anduin with open curiosity. Her face was wary, and she sat like a coiled spring. Anduin could actually  _see_ the outline of her tense shoulder muscles against her uniform. His father had chosen to remain standing, but his expression was strikingly similar to Auriana's. Anduin wondered if they realised how awkward they looked. Varian's foot was tapping out a nervous jig on the floor, and Auriana was absentmindedly shredding a piece of paper as she looked at Anduin expectantly.

Anduin also wondered if Auriana and his father had realised that they'd been shooting not-so-covert looks at one another all day. Whenever one looked away the other would inevitably sneak a glance, only to avert their eyes seconds later to avoid being caught. Anduin found the whole thing somewhat comical, and he had to work very hard to hide his smile.

"How can I be of service, Your Highness?" Auriana asked carefully.

"I've told you before, call me Anduin. It's not that hard to pronounce, surely," he teased her gently.

She ducked her head and blushed, but had the good grace to smile.

"Very well, then, Anduin. What do you want?"

"I was wondering if you'd consider taking the time to give me some lessons in magical combat," Anduin explained.

"What?" Varian interrupted, thoroughly bewildered.

Anduin had anticipated his father's surprise. He'd never showed any particular interest in learning the intricacies of combat, largely because he didn't  _have_  much interest in the topic.

"I know it's not something I've wanted in the past…" he said, dissembling. "But upon reflection, I have decided that I should not remain so wilfully ignorant."

In truth, his real reason for seeking out Auriana's tutelage was not so straightforward. While he suspected that such lessons would be quite interesting, and no doubt useful, his real motivation was to keep her around Stormwind long enough to resolve whatever unrest there was between her and Varian.

Anduin wasn't usually one to engage in such underhanded manipulation, but his father had been utterly insufferable of late. While no-one would ever call him  _open_ , Varian was nonetheless a man of fierce passions, and his emotions tended to have a significant effect on anyone unlucky enough to be around him when they were disturbed. When the King was in high spirits, the city of Stormwind seemed to lift, but when he was in a temper, the entire keep walked on eggshells.

Anduin loved his father dearly, but Varian had been in foul mood for the last two months, and he was entirely sick of it. Of course, he wasn't at all brave enough to enquire as to what had  _caused_ Varian's sour mood, specifically, but he had an inkling that it had something to do with the Commander of Lunarfall. Anduin had only met her briefly, but he knew she and Varian had been good friends. From what he'd been able to piece together, however, they'd had some sort of falling out, and it didn't appear that Varian would get over what had happened any time soon. Both of them were stubborn as mules, and Anduin had seen enough to know that neither of them would be the first to come round.

Anduin had also come to suspect that their relationship had not been entirely platonic. He'd seen the way his father had looked at Auriana after the Siege of Grommashar, and the way he'd cradled her hand as she lay bleeding out in Stormwind Cathedral. A blind man could have seen that there was more there than simple friendship, though admittedly Varian's behaviour had come as something of a surprise. Anduin found it all too easy to forget sometimes that Varian was a  _man_  as well as a father and a king, and that he had feelings just like anyone else. Anduin hadn't know his mother, and Varian had never discussed his love for Tiffin openly with his son. Varian had also steadfastly refused to take another queen after her death, and over time Anduin had simply gotten used to picturing his father as an eternal bachelor.

When he'd been younger, he'd vaguely entertained the notion that Varian might take Jaina Proudmoore as his queen, but as he grew older he'd soon realised the affection between the two had been that of close siblings, rather than romantic partners. Not that Anduin had any great experience with romance, but he was smart and perceptive, and he saw more than most people realised. It was now a moot point in any case, as Jaina was firmly enamoured of the blue dragon Kalecgos. From what Anduin knew of Auriana, however, she was more than a match for his headstrong father. She seemed to be genuinely kind, clever, and brave, and Anduin was not immediately opposed to her having some sort of relationship with Varian. Of course, Anduin knew it was probably none of his business who his father pursued, but he firmly believed that Varian deserved to be happy. He also believed the rest of the castle deserved similar happiness, and to that end he had resolved to do whatever he could to get Varian and Auriana talking once more.

"Um… I'm not a priest, Anduin, I'm not sure what I could teach you…" Auriana was saying, snapping him back to the present.

"I'm sorry, I misspoke," Anduin said smoothly. "I don't seek training in the Light, but rather training in combat. I know how to cast offensive spells, but I don't know how to best use them."

"Er… surely your father could…" she tried, shifting uncomfortably.

"With respect to my father's considerable skill as a warrior, he isn't a caster," Anduin said, nodding deferentially in Varian's direction. "You are. Fighting with magic is different from fighting in the melee, and from all accounts you are both a formidable duellist and a skilled strategist."

Auriana smiled at the compliment, but she still looked very concerned.

"I'm flattered that you have such confidence in my abilities, Anduin, but Jaina Proudmoore would certainly be a better choice. I've never really taught anyone magic before."

"Unfortunately, Aunt Jaina has been far too busy of late," Anduin lied. "I do understand if your duties prevent you, but I thought I'd ask."

He gave her his most winning smile, well aware of the fact that he was backing her into a corner. Auriana flicked her eyes across to Varian, who was studying Anduin intently, his heavy brows furrowing. Anduin shifted guiltily, and wondered if his father would be able to discern his true intentions.

"I suppose… I could…" Auriana said slowly. "If you insist."

"I do," Anduin said. "When might we start?"

"Er… tomorrow, I suppose, if you liked. It will take us some time to break through the magical protections surrounding Highmaul citadel. Light knows I'm not going to be of much use in  _that_  process, and there's nothing else in Draenor that needs my immediate attention," she said, thinking out loud.

She looked over at Varian directly then, and they shared a swift, intense look.

"If it's alright with your father, that is," she added.

"I certainly have no objections to you improving your fighting skills, Anduin," Varian said slowly.

He rubbed his chin thoughtfully, and Anduin suspected that he would have to answer a number of his father's questions later that evening at dinner. Anduin wondered if his face looked innocent enough to be convincing in the face of such an interrogation.

"As long as you're willing, Auriana. The choice is yours," Varian said. "Though I would insist on being present."

"Er… of course," Auriana agreed, though she still sounded reluctant. "Shall we meet at midday, Anduin?"

"Midday it is," he said, smiling broadly at the apparent success of his initial plan. "I'll see you then, Commander."


	4. Varian

As she had promised, Auriana arrived at the keep promptly at midday the next day, striding into the throne room where Varian and Anduin awaited her. Varian sat forwards on his throne as she passed the guards, carrying what looked like two supply packs casually in her left hand. Instead of her battle robes or officer's garb, she was clothed far less formally in supple, fitted leathers that left little to the imagination when it came to her slender form. Much to Varian's consternation, she drew several admiring glances as she entered the room. He didn't even realise he was growling out loud, until Anduin gave him a very strange look and gently nudged his foot. For her part, Auriana seemed entirely oblivious, her attention solely focused on Anduin.

"Good afternoon!" Anduin called, his gaze sliding pointedly away from Varian as he offered Auriana a broad smile.

"And to you, Anduin," she said warmly. "Are you ready to train?"

"Of course," Anduin said, with surprising eagerness. "I wasn't sure how much space we'd need, however, would the Keep's training grounds be sufficient?"

"I should think so," Auriana said. "Though I've never been there before. Lead on."

Anduin rose to his feet and strode off towards the open area within Stormwind Keep where Varian kept a fighting arena for Stormwind's elite troops. Varian followed his son's lead, and fell into lockstep with Auriana as she did likewise.

"Hello, Varian," she said softly as they walked. "How are you?"

Her voice was tentative, but her blue eyes were wide and hopeful as she looked up at him. Varian started at her use of his name, certain as he had been that he'd never hear it in her deep, rich voice again.

"I'm well," he said, somewhat stiffly, though he was genuinely happy to be speaking to her. "And you?"

"Tired," she said truthfully, "But otherwise good."

Ahead of them, Anduin turned his head and gave Varian an odd sort of half smile. Varian frowned slightly at his son. Anduin had been acting somewhat strange of late, though he had no idea why. Varian knew he hadn't been particularly pleasant to live with in the last two months, given his tumultuous situation with Auriana, but he thought he'd spared Anduin the worst of it. He wondered if Anduin's sudden interest in combat was some sort of attempt to brighten Varian's mood. Of course, it was also possible that he was overthinking the situation, and Anduin might have simply been going through the growing pains that came with late adolescence.

Varian and Auriana lapsed into silence after their initial exchange, remaining quiet until they arrived at the training grounds. As usual, the ring was filled with a number of Stormwind soldiers practicing a number of armed, unarmed, and magical combat skills. Most of the fighters stopped as their King, Prince, and a senior commander entered the arena, and a few went so far as to offer bows or salutes. Varian waved them back into action as he took a seat in the stands, and Auriana and Anduin found a corner of the ring to call their own. Varian chose his position carefully, and remained close enough to hear every word that they said.

Auriana dropped her supply packs on the ground at her feet, and rubbed her hands together with a quick glance at Varian.

"Fair warning, I've never instructed someone in magical combat before," Auriana said, with a shy grin. "So I'm going to teach you the same way I was taught. In this arena, you are my apprentice, not my prince. You do what I say, when I say it, and I need you to trust my judgement. Do you understand?"

"Yes," said Anduin, swallowing nervously.

He, too, shot a look at Varian. Varian nodded back encouragingly, and leaned forwards to place his elbows on his knees. He'd never had any sort of affinity for magic, and he was interested to see the differences between what he had been taught about combat, and how mages and other casters fought.

"I'd like to see what you're currently capable of, if you don't mind," Auriana started. "I had heard that you were severely injured in Pandaria - are you still recovering?"

Varian saw Anduin visibly shiver at Auriana's unexpected mention of the Divine Bell incident, but the prince nevertheless straightened his spine and matched her gaze head on.

"I guess I'm as well as I'll ever be. I still get the occasional twinge of pain, but it doesn't impede my movement, if that's what you're getting at," Anduin told her.

"Good," she said approvingly. "Alright, let's begin. Throw a few offensive spells at me, let me see what you've got."

As she spoke, she rolled her shoulders back and cricked her neck.

"Er… I… I don't want to attack you," Anduin said uncertainly. "What if I hurt you?"

"Anduin, with all due respect, I'm more than capable of defending myself against an apprentice priest," she said gently. "You won't hurt me, I promise."

Anduin looked unsure, but nevertheless he started to glow as he channeled the Light. Auriana lifted a single hand, and a pale, glittering frost shield shimmered into existence. Varian watched intently as Anduin swallowed, and tentatively launched a barrage of golden beams at Auriana.

As she had predicted, the bolts of Light did little damage to her powerful shield, but she was nodding in approval at Anduin's assault.

"Good," she said happily. "You're strong, very strong. There's a lot of potential there."

"I still couldn't get past your shield," Anduin said, frowning.

"That wasn't the point of the exercise," she countered firmly.

She cocked her head to the side thoughtfully and placed her hands on her hips.

"Can you use shadowform?" she asked curiously.

"Er… I can cast some shadow-based spells, but I haven't had much success in maintaining shadowform consistently," Anduin said, looking down at his shoes. "It doesn't feel… natural."

"That's not uncommon," Auriana said warmly, seeking to reassure him. "You're very strong in the Light, it only makes sense that you'd find it hard to tap into the shadow. I'm the same. I'm so strong with frost that I struggle with fire magic, because as elements they're diametrically opposed."

"You can still summon fire, however," Anduin pointed out.

"I've had a lot more practice than you've had, Anduin," she reminded him kindly. "Stormwind wasn't built in a day, you know."

Anduin still looked discouraged, and he dragged one of his boot heels idly through the dirt of the arena floor.

"You're strong, Anduin, don't forget that," she repeated. "You just need some time, and some more training. Speaking of which…"

She gestured to one of the supply packs at her feet.

"Put it on," she commanded.

Anduin looked at her skeptically as he walked over, but nonetheless complied. He grunted in surprise as he shouldered the pack, looking curiously at Auriana.

"What did you put in here, rocks?" he asked, adjusting the straps for his size.

"Yes," she said simply, without a trace of a lie. "Come on, we're going for a run around the Keep."

"I thought you were going to train me in magical combat," Anduin said, his tone confused and somewhat petulant.

"That's exactly what I'm doing," she said.

"I don't understand," Anduin said. "This seems irrelevant."

Auriana sighed.

"I thought you agreed to do what I asked, Anduin?" she said sternly. "But perhaps you're right, a demonstration might be in order. Put down the pack."

She called a bright ball of arcane magic to her palm, only to juggle it in lazy loops as she took a few paces backwards. Varian was at once impressed and sort of terrified by the casual ease with which she played with the raw power of universe.

"Call up a shield," she told Anduin. "I'm going to attack you."

"You're going to do what, now?" Varian interrupted urgently, trying to keep his voice casual as he sat forwards in his seat.

From the look on Auriana's face, his tone had not been as neutral as he had hoped, and she thought him every bit the overprotective father he was trying not to be.

"It's simply a training tool. A spell for Anduin to practice against," she explained gently, as if to an excited child. "It'll give him a small sting if he is unable to avoid it, but it won't do him any sort of real harm."

Varian frowned down at the pair of them, his heart suddenly thundering in his chest at the thought of any risk to Anduin. They were a study in contrasts, his radiant, golden-haired son and the lovely, silver-skinned mage-commander. Anduin's face was creased in frustration and something that looked like embarrassment, while Auriana's gave far less away. Varian knew her well enough, however, to see the slight crinkle of patient amusement at the corner of her eyes.

"I can test it on you if you're concerned?" she offered.

"Very well," Varian said.

The words had barely left his mouth before she lobbed the arcane ball in his direction. It impacted his chest and sent a wave of energy tingling along his limbs. The sensation was strange, rather than painful or unpleasant, and reminded him of the slight shock one sometimes incurred touching steel weapons on a winter's morning.

"Tickles," he growled, raising an eyebrow.

To his surprise, his reaction prompted a broad smile from the little mage. Varian found it utterly distracting when she really, truly smiled, especially the way her eyes lit up and her nose crinkled. He cleared his throat, trying to refocus on the lesson at hand.

"Carry on," he ordered, satisfied that Anduin was in no real danger.

Auriana shook her head as she turned her attention back to Anduin, but she was still grinning.

"Bring up your shield," she repeated, and Anduin quickly did as asked.

Varian swelled with pride at his son's abilities. While he knew little of magic, he'd served with enough priests to know that Anduin had conjured a particularly strong shield. It sparkled brightly in the midday sun, casting strange patterns of light and shadow across the arena floor. Auriana had appeared to forget about Varian, and her razor-sharp gaze was now fixed firmly on Anduin. She called another ball of dancing arcane fire to her hands, and launched it at the young prince.

Anduin's shield absorbed the blow with a small shimmer, but remained as strong as ever. Auriana nodded in approval, and began hurling arcane bolts with increasing speed. Anduin absorbed the first few easily, but Varian could soon see his brow furrow as it became more of an effort to hold the shield against Auriana's onslaught.

"Good!" Auriana praised. "Now, prepare yourself to defend against simultaneous attacks."

Her form shimmered with an arcane glow, and soon Anduin was surrounded by four illusory copies of Auriana. They were perfect duplicates, right down to mimicking her stern, clever eyes and the exact wave of her dark hair. If it weren't for the fact that he knew where the original was standing and had seen her cast the spell, Varian would have thought there really were four Aurianas.

_Do_ not _think too hard about_ that, he warned himself.

Auriana made to cast again, and her mirror images copied her every move. Anduin was now assailed from all sides, and within seconds his defenses crumpled. Anduin's shield cracked as if he had been hit with a battering ram, and he was knocked flat on his back. Varian was on his feet before he even realised what he was doing, blind instinct driving him to protect his child. He was nearly half out of the stands when Auriana gave him a very serious look and he stilled, glaring at her as she strode over to Anduin and offered him a hand. The prince accepted gratefully, and she pulled him back to his feet.

"You call that a  _sting_?" Anduin said, grinning as he rubbed his tailbone ruefully.

Varian sat back down slowly as he realised Anduin was in perfectly good health, if a bit exhausted. The prince was breathing heavily, and Varian could see weariness in his movements, but otherwise he seemed fine. The dull roaring in Varian's ears subsided, and he swore at his own protectiveness.

_It's just training_ , Varian reminded himself.  _She'd never hurt him._

"You lasted against me for what… two minutes? Three?" Auriana was saying. "Not bad. I wonder what you intend to do in a battle that lasts for a few hours, or even a few days?"

Anduin shook his head, having no answer to her hypothetical question. Auriana summoned three small glowing lights; one red, one purple, and one white-blue. She waved her hand and sent them flying forwards to dance around Anduin. The golden-haired prince grinned, and tried to swat them from the air.

"I don't know how much Velen has taught you of magical theory, but magic - be it Light, arcane, or any other- is essentially energy," Auriana lectured. "All energy has to come from  _somewhere_. For a mage, or a warlock, or even a priest, your body must be as strong as your mind. You have considerable will, Anduin Wrynn, but quite frankly, your stamina is woefully underdeveloped. If you can't cast for more than a few minutes, you'll never survive a real fight."

"I'd never really thought about it that way," Anduin said worriedly, still trying to gather his breath.

"You've probably never had to use enough power to really tire yourself out," Auriana suggested. "And you've certainly never had to resist a burst of power like the one I just used against you."

"I remember once… before the Cataclysm… there was an accident when I was staying at Ironforge. There were so many wounded, and I was healing so much, I've never been so tired…" Anduin said thoughtfully. "I was exhausted after healing you when you returned from Grommashar too."

"Unsurprising," Auriana said.

She closed her fist, and the lights dancing around Anduin's head vanished.

"Casters don't wear plate. We don't carry shields. When we fight, we're entirely exposed. Vulnerable. Admittedly,  _you_ have the advantage of being able to heal yourself, but in most cases, a caster's best defense is always good offense. And you can't mount a good offense if you have nothing from which to fuel your power," she added, picking up a pack and offering it to Anduin.

He took it far more willingly this time, shrugging his shoulders into the straps. Auriana did likewise with the second one, and Varian watched as she urged his son into a brisk jog out of the training arena and back up into the Keep.

* * *

Varian sat alone in the training arena, idly watching his men train as he waited for Anduin and Auriana to return. He tried to ignore the slight tightening of his chest as he wondered where Anduin might be, but he trusted that Auriana would never put his son in danger. Fortunately, he didn't have to wait all that long. They were gone for about half an hour before they made their way back into the arena. Anduin was red-faced, sweaty, and breathing heavily, and barely managed to drag himself back into the ring. Auriana looked fresh as ever, with only a soft ruby blush to her diamond-sharp cheekbones to indicate that she'd been running. At some point in their run, she'd taken Anduin's pack as well as her own, as it was now strapped to the front of her chest. She divested herself of both packs as she gave Anduin time to catch his breath, brushing a few stray strands of hair back from her face.

"Why do people do this?" Anduin panted, his hands on his thighs and his head between his knees.

The expression on his face made Auriana smile, and even Varian had to work to smother a grin.

"I'd like you to start running every morning. With weights, if possible," she said, looking over at Varian. "Your father can give you some physical exercises as well, to build your muscle mass. Anything that will improve your strength and endurance."

"If you insist," Anduin said flatly.

"It gets easier," Auriana said. "I promise."

"You'll forgive me if I don't believe you right now. Are we done for the day?" Anduin said hopefully, finally lifting his head.

"Of course not," Auriana said, as if it were the most obvious thing in the world. "That was just the physical component of training. Now we're going to work on magical theory and tactics."

Anduin groaned audibly, but to his credit he stood up straight and moved to follow her instructions. Auriana pushed the prince hard as they worked, but she was never unkind or unfair. She was a good, patient teacher, if a little blunt, and she never failed to offer Anduin encouragement whenever he flagged or failed to grasp a particular point. Varian was surprised at the intensity of the training. Like Anduin, he had always assumed magic was mostly a mental exercise, and had never really appreciated the enormous physical effort required of powerful casters.

Auriana finally relented late in the afternoon, when Anduin had absolutely hit his physical limit, patting him kindly on the back as he doubled over once more. Varian was somewhat concerned by the prince's exhaustion, but he was proud of the way Anduin had committed to the training. Varian jumped down from the stands into the arena, and strode over to his son.

"Well done," he said to Anduin. "How do you feel?"

"Hungry," Anduin said truthfully, offering Varian a tired smile.

Varian chuckled.

"You should have meat for dinner," Auriana prescribed. "If you eat it, that is."

"I'm sure we could have the kitchens arrange a nice steak," Varian suggested.

Like any other young man, Anduin brightened considerably at the thought of food.

"Auriana - perhaps you'd like to join us for dinner?" the prince asked her eagerly. "There's a couple of points of theory I'd like to clarify with you, if possible, and I'm sure my father wouldn't protest your company."

Auriana paled slightly, and looked carefully between Varian to Anduin. For his part, Varian shifted uncomfortably. Having Auriana join them for dinner would have pleased him greatly, but he could tell from the look on her face that she would decline.

"I'm sorry, Anduin, but I really should be getting back to Draenor this evening. Lunarfall never sleeps, it seems, and there are several things I should attend to," she said. "But I'd be happy to come back and work with you some more tomorrow, if you'd like?"

"That's a pity," Anduin said, his voice warm and genuine, "Though I would definitely like to train some more."

"That's good to hear. Don't forget to rest up," she said, gently squeezing the prince's arm. "And I'll see you again at midday."

She turned her gaze to Varian and nodded.

"Have a good evening, Varian," she said. "I guess… I guess I'll see you tomorrow, too."

Her tone was light and cool, though Varian detected a strange catch to her voice. Before he could reply, however, he felt the air crackle as she gathered her power, and she vanished into thin air.


	5. Auriana

Auriana returned to Stormwind the next day to continue her work with Anduin. The prince's power in the Light was no doubt impressive, but it was clear he'd had little training in magical combat. He also lacked any sort of instinct for fighting, and Auriana found it quite a challenge to explain things that had always come so naturally to her. Anduin generally took to the theory well, but struggled to apply his skills in practice, and he was very reluctant to cast with the intent to do damage. It also probably didn't help that Varian watched both of them like a hawk, his heavy brows permanently drawn into a contemplative scowl. Auriana would have preferred to work without such scrutiny, even  _without_  all that had happened between her and Varian, but she knew it would have been easier to take on the entire Iron Horde herself than get Varian out of that ring.

Anduin had once again invited her to dinner after their second day of training, and once again Auriana refused. It wasn't that she couldn't attend, really, just that she wasn't yet sure where she stood with Varian. They were talking, at least, but almost every second they spent together was uncomfortable enough to make her cringe. As such, she had made her excuses to Anduin, suggesting that Lunarfall needed her more than it really did. In truth, Lunarfall had been mostly quiet, given that a large proportion of her forces were now camped outside Highmaul while the Kirin Tor mages worked to bring down the citadel's magical protections. They hadn't had much luck so far, and Auriana didn't want to start up any other trouble in Draenor before Highmaul had fallen.

Despite her intention to avoid private dinners with the prince and his father, she'd nevertheless agreed to give Anduin a third lesson. The prince was a genuinely charming young man, and she very much enjoyed working with him. If she were being honest with herself, she was also secretly pleased to be spending time in Varian's presence. She didn't quite feel up to dinner, given the lingering awkwardness between them, but having him nearby made her feel instantly lighter. She missed him more fiercely than she cared to admit, and more than once she had questioned whether she'd made the right decision in turning him down.

Auriana was sitting at her desk in Lunarfall about half an hour before she was due back in Stormwind to deliver Anduin's third lesson, when she felt a shivering tingle in the back of her mind. She sat up straighter, instantly alert, as she recognised the fact that one of Lunarfall's outer wards had been breached. She'd placed the wards herself as Lunarfall was founded, and any transgression would alert her instantly, no matter where she was on Draenor. Auriana sprang to her feet as the magical pulse faded from her mind, and walked determinedly outside to find Delvar Ironfist. She was on alert, but not yet entirely concerned. A breach required investigation, but the wards had been tripped by things like squirrels in the past, so she wasn't going to jump to conclusions. Warding was not a perfect science, and even the best made wards were often vulnerable to interference.

She strode across the yard and found Ironfist in the barracks. Quietly, so as not to arouse too much of an alarm over what very well might be nothing, she explained what she'd sensed out in the woods. Ironfist grabbed his axe immediately, and together they calmly walked out of Lunarfall's gates and into the deep purple twilight of Shadowmoon Valley.

Once in the woods, they split up to cover more ground. Auriana headed directly for the tripped ward herself, while she set Ironfist to flank her from the west. The wards were normally invisible, of course, but Auriana could feel the ward like a beacon with her magical senses. She crept through the undergrowth as silently as she was able, careful not to give her position away. She couldn't see any immediate danger, but her instincts told her to be on high alert. The forest felt more sinister than it normally did, and she had the deep, unsettling feeling that she wasn't alone.

As she approached the breached ward, she cast a quick spell to warp the air around her body so that she was nearly invisible. Mages did not possess the preternatural stealth abilities of rogues, but they were still able to move around unseen if necessary. She paused in front of the ward for a few long minutes, until she was reasonably certain that she was alone. She nevertheless kept a careful eye out for any signs of disturbance as she stepped out of her invisibility in order to inspect the ward. She shifted it back into the visible plane with a quick spell, and looked over the spellwork with a careful eye. She knew in an instant that the ward had been tampered with, and her body surged with adrenaline as she prepared for an ambush.

Auriana heard a twig snap somewhere nearby. She whirled to face the sound, power dancing at her fingertips, just as something enormous hit her from the other side. Auriana grunted in surprise as she fell, her head impacting the ground with a sharp crack. She felt something sharp slice through her tunic and graze her ribs, and she tried her best to roll away from the source of the pain. Something snatched her ankle and flipped her over, and she cried out as a heavy weight crashed onto her sternum. Dazed as she was, Auriana barely managed to get her hands up in time to block the knife that came plunging towards her face.

She soon realised that she was being straddled by a snarling, broken-tusked orc, who was doing his damndest to slit her throat. His knee was pressed into her stomach, and she could barely move or breathe, let alone summon the kind of power necessary to dislodge the brute. She had to use both arms to keep the vicious knife away from her throat, and she knew she'd never be able to get a spell off in time if she released her grip to summon her magic.

"Delvar!" she screamed desperately, the knife now only a few inches from the frantically beating pulse in her neck.

The orc howled in fury, and bore down harder against his knife. Auriana was strong, but she knew that she had no chance of holding off a two hundred pound orc for very long. The ropy muscles in her arms protested in agony, and the knife continued on its inevitable descent.

"Help!" she cried again, as the point of the orc's knife scraped across her skin.

The orc grinned, encouraged by the sight and smell of her blood. Auriana's strength was rapidly fading, but she glared up at the orc fearsomely, defiant to the very last. Mercifully, the weight against her chest suddenly released as Ironfist came flying in from the left. The short, stocky dwarf ploughed into the orc, and carried him three feet clear of Auriana. She flipped on to her stomach the second she could move, and scrambled away to take cover behind a tree.

She shook her head to clear it, and looked about to orient herself. Ironfist was now locked in a ferocious duel with the Iron Horde spy, slashing furiously at the quick moving orc with his heavy axe. Auriana, still lying on the forest floor, summoned her remaining strength and shot a quick bolt of ice at the orc. The ice froze his legs fast, and he tumbled forwards with a look of surprise. Ironfist took full advantage of the opportunity, and brought his axe crashing downwards to neatly sever the orc's neck.

Auriana staggered to her feet as the orc gave a final twitch. She felt like she'd been crushed by a boulder, but she was otherwise alright. The knife wound to her ribs was merely a graze, fortunately, and the cut to her throat was only a small mark barely an inch long. Her wounds were more annoyances than actual problems, and she was more embarrassed that she'd left herself so open to ambush than anything else.

"Search him," she ordered Ironfist, trying to gather her breath.

"He looks like a Blackrock," Ironfist said, kneeling to rifle through the orc's pack and pockets.

"Damn. It looks like we've attracted Blackhand's attention, then, if he's sending spies out this far," Auriana said, idly dabbing at her wounded throat. "Does he have anything on him?"

"Not that I can see," Ironfist said, securing his axe on his belt. "It could be that he did nay get anythin' yet."

"Or he already sent off his report," Auriana said darkly. "We can only hope we caught him before he was able to get any information about Lunarfall's defenses."

Auriana shifted her feet skittishly, feeling tense and frustrated. She didn't like the fact that Blackhand's orcs were prowling around Shadowmoon, much less around her garrison. She suddenly felt very exposed, and she looked warily about the woods. Ironfist, too, looked personally offended that an Iron Horde spy had managed to get so close to their home. He tapped the haft of his axe edgily, and there was something in the protective gesture that reminded her strongly of Varian Wrynn.

_Varian... oh no…._ she thought, suddenly remembering that she should have been back in Stormwind by now.

"Blast!" she swore angrily. "I have a meeting with the King in Stormwind, and I'm going to be very late. You head back to Lunarfall, and get some men to sweep the woods within a five mile perimeter of the garrison. I want the guard doubled for the next few nights, as well. If there are spies in Lunarfall, I want them  _found_. Send a courier if you find anything, and I'll quickly check the other wards before I go."

Ironfist nodded sharply, and began to run back towards Lunarfall. For her part, Auriana broke into a quick jog, and headed towards the location of the next ward. It took her about half an hour to check all the wards closest to Lunarfall, but fortunately it seemed that none of them had been breached or otherwise damaged. If they were, she never would have dreamed of returning to Stormwind as planned, but without any further evidence of orcs, she was satisfied that Lunarfall was in no immediate danger. There wasn't much that could be else that could be done at this point, save for the orders she had already relayed to Ironfist, and so Auriana teleported herself directly back to Stormwind.

She was nearly an hour late at this point, and she hoped Anduin and Varian would not be too displeased. As usual, they were waiting for her in the throne room. She strode quickly towards them, the clack of her boot heels echoing off the grey stone floor.

Varian leapt to his feet in alarm as she came closer. Auriana belatedly realised that she probably looked terrible, what with her bloodied neck and slashed tunic. She could feel that her face was red and sweaty from running around chasing wards, and she'd acquired a fair amount of dirt and debris from rolling around on the floor with the orc.

"I'm sorry I'm so late," she said apologetically, brushing her dishevelled hair back from her face.

"Never mind that," Varian said urgently, striding towards her. "What on earth happened to you?"

"We caught a spy outside Lunarfall," she said casually. "I had to ensure the garrison was secure before I left, that's why I'm late. We can get right to it, Anduin, I don't want to put you at a disadvantage."

Varian looked distinctly unsatisfied by her explanation, and had the dangerous look in his eyes that he always had when she was injured. To her surprise, the King moved closer and reached across to pluck a leaf from her dark hair. She shivered involuntarily as his warm hands contacted the soft skin behind her ear, and she heard him inhale sharply at the touch. His hand lingered for a brief moment, and their eyes locked in an intense stare.

"You know, we don't have to train if you are unable," Anduin interrupted, his blue eyes wide with alarm.

"Oh, it's just a scratch," she said dismissively, as Varian took an abrupt step back. "No real harm done. Surely I don't look that bad?"

"Er..." Anduin said nervously, exchanging a glance with his father.

The prince walked forwards and gently pressed one hand against her throat, and the other against her stomach. His hands glowed warm, and she felt a slight sting as the healing energy closed the rends in her flesh. Anduin stepped away, and Auriana ran a hand over the slash in her tunic marking the place where the knife had grazed her ribs. The wound was entirely gone, and her skin was pleasantly warm where the prince had touched her.

"Thank you," she said, smiling in genuine appreciation. "Now that's out of the way, are you ready to get started?"

"As long as you are," Anduin said doubtfully.

She smiled reassuringly, and together they made their way back out of the keep proper and towards the training arena. Varian walked up behind her as they moved, and leaned down to whisper in her ear.

"We'll talk about this after," he said, his voice low and tight.

Auriana nodded, despite the fact that she didn't believe there was much to discuss. As far as she was concerned, injuries were part and parcel of her job as a commander. She was used to pain, and a couple of knife scratches weren't anything to be worried about. It had evidently bothered Varian, however, and she knew she'd never escape a conversation with him.

She chose to ignore the King, at least for the moment, and instead focussed all her attention on Anduin. She had decided to focus today's lesson on improving his offensive movement and reflexes, while simultaneously encouraging him to enter and control his shadowform.

It soon became clear that this would be a particularly difficult task for the prince. While he was able to cast offensive Light spells with reasonable consistency, he could only enter shadowform for a few seconds. Auriana gave him all the encouragement she was able, but she didn't know enough about the way in which priests used their magic to be able to give him the more technical instruction that he needed. It was also apparent that he just didn't have any real heart for combat, and she suspected that this explained his inability to enter shadowform far more than any real lack of talent.

After one particularly poor attempt to channel the shadow, Anduin cursed in open frustration, and flopped down into a seated position in the dirt, his head in his hands. It was a rare display of emotion from the normally calm and steady prince, and it concerned Auriana greatly. She slowly walked over to where he sat and joined him, kicking up dust with her boots as she settled herself on the ground.

"I'm just not good at this, Auri," Anduin said plaintively, and Auriana grimaced in sympathy.

"That's not true, Anduin," she said gently. "I have absolute confidence in your ability to master combat skills. Some things are just going to come harder than others."

"I don't understand why this is so  _difficult_ ," Anduin said dully.

"You're just not naturally wired for it, is all," she explained. "People like me, people like your father, we're good at creating all kinds of havoc. We're fighters, and this sort of thing comes easily. Your talents simply lie elsewhere. You're skilled with creation, not destruction."

"Most people seem to value destruction over creation," Anduin said sullenly.

"Perhaps, but I think most would also agree that creation is far  _harder_ than destruction," she pointed out.

Anduin grunted in reply, but still looked depressed by his current limitations. Desperate to cheer him up, Auriana shifted around until she sat directly in front of him, her legs folded beneath her.

"Here, help me out," she said in sudden inspiration, holding out her hands so her palms faced inwards. "I'd like to show you something, but I've never been particularly good at this sort of delicate magic. I could use your help, if you're willing?"

Anduin looked skeptical, but his natural curiosity won out and he lifted his head tentatively.

"We're going to try to create a temporary link. I'm not sure how well this will work, given that we both practice different forms of magic, but as far as I understand the theory it should be possible. Place your hands outside of mine, and channel the Light  _into_  my body," Auriana instructed. "Focus your will tightly, and don't allow yourself to be distracted."

Anduin frowned, but did at he was bidden. Auriana felt the alien tingle of the Light flood her body, and for a second she felt like her heart would actually explode from her chest in joy.

"Careful," she told him, smiling. "Not so much. Imagine you're trying to warm my hands gently, like afternoon sunlight on a clear winter's day."

She felt the intensity of his channelling lessen, but her connection to him remained strong. It wasn't the same as linking with another mage. She wasn't a part of him, as she was in a normal link, but rather they felt bound by strong chains, together but still separate. Auriana folded his magic into her own, and her body went cold as she channelled a powerful stream of frost between her hands. She lost track of time as they sat there, her focus entirely consumed by the difficult and fragile spell she was working. As she had hoped, Anduin matched her well, and the Light he was channelling never once flagged or faded.

"There," she announced finally, opening her eyes and releasing her power.

Her head pounded slightly from the effort of the spell, but she smiled widely as she beheld the results. Between her fingers now rotated a tiny, perfect snowflake, surrounded by an aura of softly glowing golden light.

"What is it?" Anduin asked curiously, entranced.

"It's an everlasting snowflake," she told him, tipping it gently into his palm. "Well, that's a bit of a misnomer, it won't last forever, but it will last as long as I'm alive. It's got a little bit of my magic in it, and I suppose some of yours, too, considering that you contributed the Light. It's an entirely unique thing in all the world. They don't normally glow like that."

"It really won't melt?" Anduin asked in wonder.

"Try it," she suggested, and he squeezed it gently between his fingers.

The snowflake shimmered and sprung back almost immediately, looking just as perfect as it had a second ago. Anduin broke into a broad grin, his earlier melancholy apparently forgotten.

"It's yours," she said. "I couldn't have made it without your help. You could keep it in a glass jar if you liked, or I suppose you could have a pendant fashioned."

She placed a hand gently on his back.

"Don't ever forget who you are, Anduin Wrynn, and don't forget that creation is just as powerful a force as destruction," she told him firmly.

Anduin tucked the snowflake rather reverentially into his pocket, where she could see it faintly glowing behind the thin white fabric. To her surprise, he then threw his arms around her neck and hugged her tightly. Shocked by the sudden contact, Auriana awkwardly patted his back. She caught Varian's gaze as Anduin let her go, though his expression was unreadable.

"I think we're done for the day," Auriana said, smiling uncomfortably. "Go enjoy the rest of your afternoon."

Anduin sprang to his feet, his irrepressible spirit and enthusiasm rapidly returning as he ran over to his father to show him the tiny snowflake. Auriana rose to her feet more slowly, covertly glancing over at the prince and his father. Varian and Anduin were now talking quietly, and she was heartened by the excited joy on Anduin's face and the undisguised love on Varian's.

Auriana smiled to herself, pleased that she'd been able to turn the prince's frustration around. She moved to sneak away unnoticed, only to stop as she felt a strong hand fall upon her shoulder. She turned to see the King looking down at her in disapproval, his expression tense and set. Anduin, it appeared, had wisely retreated from the arena, allowing his father and mentor to speak in private.

"So. What happened earlier?" Varian asked, crossing his arms across his broad chest.

"As I said, we caught a spy outside Lunarfall," she explained begrudgingly.

"And how were you injured?"

"One of Blackhand's men tripped my wards. My bodyguard and I went out to investigate, and the brute jumped me from behind. He tackled me and held me down. I couldn't cast without letting go of the knife, and I had no idea how to get him off otherwise."

Varian scowled, anger flashing in his eyes, though Auriana wasn't quite sure if he was angry at the  _orc_  or at  _her_.

"What do you mean, you had no idea? Have you never been trained in unarmed combat?" he asked.

"Well… my father taught me how to throw a punch when I was younger," she said lightly. "But I'm not sure that counts…"

Varian's face was dark, and he didn't seem to have noticed her attempt at humour.

"Unarmed skills are important, and standard training practice for Alliance military officers. Why have you never learned?" he asked, his voice firm and unyielding.

She sighed, and in answer called down a powerful ball of arcane energy on some nearby training dummies. They were simply obliterated by her spell, vanishing in a burst of purple light. The whole display had taken maybe three seconds.

"Honestly, it's never really come up," she said, the slightest hint of sarcasm entering her voice.

Varian's eyes narrowed, but she could see that he was at least somewhat impressed.

"You make your point well, Commander," he told her. "But I won't have a field officer of mine unable to fight in close quarters, if necessary. War has a funny way of presenting you with the situation you least expect. As you learned today, there may come a time when you have to fight without your powers, considerable though they may otherwise be."

He paused, eyeing her carefully.

"I think it's time someone rectified your ignorance in this area," he said.

"You're not serious," Auriana blurted.

"Oh, but I am. Anduin needs some time to consolidate his lessons. Tomorrow, you will train with me," Varian ordered, and his tone left not the slightest room for argument.


	6. Varian

The next day, Varian found himself in the Stormwind training yards once more, as he awaited Auriana's arrival. He'd invited her to spar with him on the spur of the moment, but the more he'd thought about it, the more he believed that training Auriana in hand-to-hand combat was a good idea. He knew that his protectiveness irritated her to no end, but quite frankly, he didn't care. If he couldn't fight by her side and protect her himself, he would make damn sure she was prepared for anything Draenor could throw at her.

Auriana arrived precisely on time, as she always did. She looked fit and ready to fight, though Varian could distinctly see doubt in her eyes as she strode purposefully towards him. There were a number of other soldiers training in the arena, as usual, and many of them paused in curiosity as Varian and Auriana moved to begin their session.

"Will you be training with us today, Your Majesty?" one of the bolder young soldiers asked excitedly.

Varian kept his fighting skills well honed, but he rarely trained in the public yards. Whenever he did, however, it was not unheard of for a crowd of soldiers to watch his every move. Varian knew he had something of a reputation amongst his men, and the younger soldiers in particular were often eager to test said reputation for themselves.

"Yes, soldier," Varian called back. "I'll be working with the Commander here."

The soldiers swung their inquisitive gazes towards Auriana, and she shifted her weight nervously from foot to foot.

"Oh!" the young man exclaimed. "Well, enjoy your afternoon, my Lord. Let us know if you need anything."

"Thank you," Varian said sincerely. "I will."

He smiled apologetically at Auriana.

"It looks as if we're going to have an audience," he told her.

"If we do, we do," she said nonchalantly, though Varian could tell she was displeased.

"I could order them away, if you liked…" he offered.

"It's fine…" she started to reply, when she was interrupted by the arrival of none other than the prince of Stormwind.

"Anduin?" Varian called out to his son, surprised. "What brings you down here?"

Anduin lifted a hand in greeting and smiled nervously down at Varian.

"Um… I thought this might be interesting," the prince said vaguely, as he found a seat in the upper rows of the amphitheatre. "I thought I might learn something."

Varian was thoroughly baffled by his son's presence, though Auriana seemed to know something that he didn't. She gazed thoughtfully up at Anduin, before turning away with a small, inscrutable smile.

"Very well," Varian said slowly.

He looked carefully between his son and his commander, though neither gave anything away. Anduin grinned tentatively as he sat down, but said nothing further. Varian reminded himself to have a word with his son later that evening, but for the time being he put the assembled crowed out of his mind and turned his full attention to Auriana.

"Let's get to it, then," he said, dropping into a basic fighting stance and beckoning her forwards.

"Just like that? No instruction, you just want me to… fight you?" she asked nervously.

"You said yesterday that your father taught you a little, I want to see what you know," he explained. "Come."

Auriana hesitated for the briefest second, before shrugging and launching herself at Varian in a ferocious attack. For his part, Varian held himself back, quietly taking her measure. He quickly learned that she had a mean right hook, but against someone as experienced as he, she was hopelessly outmatched. Every time she attempted to strike at him, he either dodged neatly to the side, or allowed the blow to land harmlessly against the thick muscles of his upper arms and shoulders.

Once he was confident he had an idea of her style, Varian decided to teach her the same first lesson that his instructor had taught him. He dodged a punch uncharacteristically slowly, and tricked her forwards. Thinking she finally had an opening, Auriana wound up for a heavy right cross. As she swung, Varian grinned and lunged forward, impossibly fast for such a big man, and grabbed her arm at the shoulder. Twisting his body and taking advantage of his superior strength, he threw her clear over his shoulder to land heavily on her back.

She cried out as she hit the dirt, though Varian was experienced enough to know that she was more surprised than hurt. Her shout was soon drowned out by the approving roar of the watching soldiers, who always enjoyed a good takedown.

"The first rule of unarmed combat," he said, offering a hand to pull her back to her feet. "Is humility. An overconfident warrior is a dead warrior. If you'd been thinking, you would have seen that I'd baited you in."

"Ugh," she grunted, brushing the dirt from her back and thighs. "I take your point, but that seemed… unnecessary."

"The crowd seems to have enjoyed it," Varian said lightly, waving a hand at the watching soldiers.

Auriana shot him a dirty look, clearly unimpressed by his teasing.

"Well, it's not every day they get to watch their legendary king beat up on a defenseless young woman half his size," she said innocently.

"That's not funny," he warned her, with mock sternness. "We're all well aware you're  _anything_ but defenseless."

Auriana smirked.

"Besides, you know I'd never truly put you in harm's way," he said seriously. "Not now, not ever, Auriana."

Her eyes softened, and she looked down at her hands with a sad smile.

"I know," she said gently. "I could probably do without the bruises, however."

She rubbed her back gingerly in emphasis. Varian shook his head in disagreement.

"Pain is useful. It teaches us," he said. "I won't hold out on you, Auriana. I'll teach you the way I was taught, and you'll be a better fighter for it… bruises and all."

"I'd be offended if you did anything less," she said proudly, dropping back into a combat stance.

Varian grinned wolfishly. He liked her fighting spirit, and her willingness to learn. More than anything, he liked how some of their old camaraderie had seemingly returned. He hadn't intended to use their training session as a means to open communication with her, but he certainly wasn't going to complain if that was the result.

"Come at me again," he instructed. "But slower this time. Really  _think_  about where you're trying to hit me."

Auriana took his advice, and came on slowly. Her brow furrowed in concentration as she payed mindful attention to the way in which she fought. At this slow pace, their 'fight' was more like dancing than anything else, but it gave Varian the opportunity to stop Auriana midway through an attack and correct her stance or technique. He lost himself entirely in the work, relishing both the warm sun and the opportunity to put his combat skills to good use.  _This_  was what he was made for, far more than for negotiations or reigning over the court of Stormwind.

"Well, you're not the worst I've ever seen," he told Auriana, finally indicating that she could stop.

"You sure know how to compliment a woman," she shot back, wiping the sweat from her brow.

Varian snorted derisively, pushing his long hair out of his face.

"You've got potential, if you had a mind to use it," he continued, "But you need to start thinking more like a fighter. You've got no strategy."

"No strategy? Every punch I threw was dead on target," she protested.

"But you were aiming for the  _wrong_ targets," he explained.

She frowned up at him, nonplussed.

"Here, allow me to give you a demonstration," he said.

He stood back, his arms relaxed at his sides.

"Hit me," he told her.

Her eyebrows flew up into her hairline.

"What, just… straight out hit you?" she said hesitantly.

"Hit my chest," he repeated, smiling to let her know that it was alright.

Auriana shrugged, and threw a half-hearted punch at his right pectoral. Varian barely moved from the impact.

"Come on," he goaded her. "You can do better than that."

Auriana growled at the challenge, and swung again. This time she hit him with far more strength. The blow was hard enough to force him to step backwards, but against the bulky muscles of his chest, earned from years of carrying heavy armour and weaponry, it did very little in the way of damage. Her eyes widened in surprise.

"How long do you suppose you could keep that up?" he asked her intently. "As you pointed out, you're half my size. There's no way you'll take me in a contest of strength. And I'm just a man. A big man, admittedly, but a man nonetheless. What about an orc, half a foot taller and a hundred pounds heavier? How would you fare then?"

"Ah. You're teaching me one of the lessons I taught Anduin. When you can't fight stronger, fight smarter," she said, catching on. "I do know better than this, really... that tumble in the dirt must have addled my brain."

Varian growled low in his chest, but otherwise chose to pointedly ignore her mildly barbed reference to his earlier takedown.

"That's a good way of putting it," he said. "If you're someone like me, you can afford to rely on strength and force to win fights.  _You_ , on the other hand, need to exploit speed and strategy."

"So where should I be aiming?" she asked.

"Someone little like you?" Varian said thoughtfully. "You've got to fight dirty. Choose soft targets. Knees, eyes, throats, and…"

He coughed awkwardly, and couldn't quite bring himself to meet her eyes.

"... other places," he finished vaguely.

To his utter surprise, Auriana actually giggled. Her nose crinkled charmingly, and her soft pink lips twitched upwards. Varian found it entirely distracting, and for a second he completely forgot what he was trying to explain.

"Stop that," he told her seriously. "That's… I mean, you're… we're here to train."

She complied at once, looking ever so slightly abashed, but he could see the echo of her laughter in her sparkling eyes. Varian looked down at his feet in an attempt to regain his composure. He cleared his throat.

"You need to take strike as quickly as you can at the weakest points of your enemy," he continued. "Here, I'll show you."

Varian began to teach in earnest, drilling Auriana endlessly in the best moves and combinations for someone of her size. When he had first learned how to fight, his trainers had expected nothing less than perfection, and he now demanded the same of Auriana. Fortunately, she was a very hard worker, and she took criticism well. She also never complained, no matter how many times she missed a strike or copped a glancing blow when she moved too slowly. She was soon breathing heavily from her efforts, and her pale skin glowed with a fine sheen of sweat.

Varian, too, was working hard, and he eventually decided to call for a break. Much of the work they were doing required precise, controlled movements, and his muscles were not as used to the strain as he they had once been. While Auriana caught her breath and greedily gulped down a skin of water, Varian stripped off his shirt for comfort. The sun was gentle and warm on his bare chest, and he welcomed the gentle pull of his muscles as he stretched out his back and shoulders.

After several minutes, he turned back to Auriana, only to see her standing with her eyes wide and her mouth hanging slightly open.

"Uh…" he started, not sure how to interpret her sudden attention.

"Are they all from the gladiator's arena?" she asked, her voice barely a whisper.

Varian realised then that she was staring at the scars that crisscrossed his chest and abdomen. They stood out starkly against his naturally tanned skin, and most of them were evidence of deep, vicious wounds. He had never really paid them much mind, but he supposed they must have looked rather horrific to someone unused to seeing them.

"Not of all them," he said. "But most."

She nodded slowly, and walked towards him as if in a trance. Varian went stock still as she reached out a trembling hand and ran her fingers along the line of a particularly nasty mark that scored him from ribs to shoulder. Her touch burned like fire, and he narrowly resisted the urge to capture her small hand with his own and pull her closer.

"There's so many," she said wonderingly, seemingly oblivious to the inferno she'd kindled within his soul. "How did you survive?"

"I fought. I did whatever I had to in order to stay alive," he said roughly.

She bit her lip thoughtfully, and looked at him so closely he thought she was trying to peer into his soul.

"You miss it," she observed perceptively. "Fighting, I mean."

"Yes," he said heavily.

There was no point in pretending otherwise, at least not with Auriana. With anyone else, he might have lied, but she understood the siren song of battle better than anyone else he'd ever met. They stood in silence for a long minute, until Auriana suddenly realised that her hand was still pressed against his chest. She yanked it away, blushing furiously as she retreated several steps backwards.

"Um… sorry," she mumbled. "I shouldn't have said anything."

"It's quite alright," he replied, but he couldn't bring himself to meet her gaze.

As he focused his attention elsewhere, he abruptly remembered that they were not alone, and he cursed himself for losing so much awareness of his surroundings. He looked around the amphitheatre, trying to distract himself from the memory of Auriana's cool hand on his skin. Anduin was still watching from his perch high up in the stand, and his piercing stare was firmly fixed on Auriana. Varian briefly wondered what he was thinking, only to decide that it was probably better if he didn't know.

It also seemed that word had gotten out about the King's training. More men had entered the arena, and Varian's chest swelled with pride as he watched them mimic many of the moves he had been teaching Auriana. While he didn't care a whit for adulation, he found it flattering that his men respected his opinion enough to take his advice so seriously.

"I wasn't aware I'd decided to give an impromptu lecture today," he remarked quietly to Auriana, breaking their silence.

He nodded at the hardworking soldiers, and Auriana smiled.

"You're a good teacher," she said sincerely. "I feel like I've learned a lot today."

Varian regarded her thoughtfully.

"Let's see if that's true," he said, keen to keep the focus on her training instead of the other thoughts racing through his mind. "Shall we play a game?"

He strode over to his discarded shirt and tore off a long piece of white cloth. He looped it through his belt, and pulled at it until it was just tight.

"The game is this - you have to get the cloth off my belt. Do whatever you need to do," he instructed.

"That sounds... deceptively simple," she said warily.

"Well, I didn't say I wouldn't fight back."

They both moved into a ready stance. Auriana's positioning was flawless, a pale, perfect mirror of his own. He let her attack first, and soon they were locked in an intense duel. Varian smiled as they fought. Already, he could see the improvement in her abilities. It would take some time before she was as efficient and fluid as she could be, but her tactical awareness was much better, and Varian found himself having to actually work a little to hold her off.

They fought back and forth for several minutes, until Varian decided he'd punished her enough for one day. He deliberately fumbled a sidestep, curious to see if she would be able to exploit the opportunity. To his great pleasure, Auriana to lunged in, quick as a whip, and snatched the cloth from his belt in triumph.

"You let me have that," she accused, panting.

Varian shrugged.

"Maybe I did, maybe I didn't," he said innocently. "However, I feel you've earned it. You worked very hard today. I'm impressed."

Auriana smiled gratefully, and dropped the hand holding the cloth to her side. The second he saw her muscles relax, Varian struck. He used his superior reach to grab for her arm, and again he threw her handily over his hip. She flew through the air for the second time that day, and landed hard on her back once more.

She looked up at him in disbelief, and let out a low grunt of annoyance.

"Second rule," he told her. " _Never_  let your guard down."

Auriana rested her head back against the arena floor with a sigh, seemingly unconcerned that she was getting dirt all through her hair. Her eyes were fixed on the glorious azure sky, and her chest rose and fell laboriously as she tried to catch her breath. She sighed.

"I should have known that one," she said ruefully, making no effort at all to sit up.

"Well, you won't forget twice, now will you?" he told her.

"I can't believe you did this every day as a gladiator," she said. "I feel like my bruises have bruises."

"You get used to it, after a while," he said. "That is somewhat the point - if you never learn to live with pain in training, how could you possibly survive a real fight?"

She nodded in understanding. Satisfied, Varian stepped forward to help her to her feet. In response, she propped herself up on her elbows, and extended one hand to grasp his own. He was just about to pull her to a standing position when he felt her kick out at his left knee. At the same time, she yanked down hard, and Varian found himself tumbling through the air to land heavily in the dirt beside her.

"Never let your guard down," she murmured, as dead silence fell over the arena.

While the men would happily cheer for the takedown of any other fighter, it was another thing entirely to heckle their king. There was a tense pause, before Varian threw back his head and roared with laughter. The assembled warriors seemed to take his mirth as permission, and they rained whoops and applause down on Auriana. She looked sideways, and gave Varian a savage grin.

"You  _did_  tell me to fight dirty," she said innocently.

"That's very true. Apparently, you're a fast learner," he growled, though he was not at all displeased.

Despite the fact that he was lying on his back in the dirt, Varian didn't really want to move. He closed his eyes against the gentle afternoon sunlight, and for a moment he enjoyed lying in the light with Auriana beside him. She too, seemed reluctant to leave, and for a long moment they simply lay in companionable silence. Varian knew they must have looked quite strange, lying head to head on the arena floor, but he simply didn't care.

"Thank you for taking the time to train Anduin," he said finally. "As I'm sure you're aware, magical theory is not one of my strengths."

She laughed, and the richness of the sound sent shivers up his spine.

"My pleasure," she said slowly. "However… you do realise, of course, that this has largely been an elaborate ruse concocted by your son to get us talking again?"

"What? He wouldn't…" Varian started to protest, and then realised it was exactly the sort of thing his son would do.

He rubbed a hand across his eyes in consternation.

"Dammit, Anduin," he growled. "I'm sorry, Auriana, he shouldn't have been so presumptuous. What happens between you and I is none of his business. When did you figure it out?"

"Almost from the moment he asked. Your boy isn't quite as subtle as he thinks he is," she said, but her voice was not unkind. "Don't get me wrong, one day he'll be a terrifyingly good politician, but thankfully today is not that day."

"Why did you agree, then?" Varian asked curiously. "You didn't have to be here, not when he was simply making excuses to bring you back to Stormwind."

"I like him," she said simply. "He's a good young man, and I'm happy to help where I can. You know as well as I do that he  _does_  need to learn to defend himself."

She paused pointedly, and the air around them felt suddenly thick. Varian inadvertently tensed, unsure of what she was going to say next.

"I suppose… I suppose I was looking for an excuse as well," she whispered. "I miss you, Varian."

Her voice was quietly desperate and heavy with emotion, and Varian felt his pulse quicken with surprise and hunger. From the normally stoic Auriana, such an admission was the equivalent of another person trumpeting their feelings from the highest tower of Stormwind Keep.

"I'm sorry," he managed eventually. "I'm too proud for my own good, sometimes. Most of the time, actually. I shouldn't have iced you out."

"Oh, that's funny," she snorted unexpectedly. " _Icing_  out a frost mage?"

"Er… that was unintentional, I assure you," Varian said. "I'm not really one for puns."

She smiled briefly, but her pale face soon grew serious once more.

"It's not like I contacted you, either," she continued. "I… I guess I was afraid you wouldn't speak to me."

More to give himself time to collect his thoughts than anything else, Varian sat up and rose to his feet. He saw Auriana's face fall slightly, and he realised that she had read dismissal in his silence.

"I've missed you too," he said quickly, and he heard her gasp quietly in surprise.

He held out his hand.

"Would… would you like to take dinner with me this evening?" he said, pulling her to her feet.

Auriana frowned thoughtfully, and Varian's heart constricted as he suspected she might once again turn him down.

"I have a better idea," she said, a slow smile spreading across her face. "I do need to check back in at Lunarfall, but I'll come by your chambers late, at say... eleven?"

Varian's mind raced as he tried to imagine what on Azeroth she meant by  _that_.

"Dress incognito," she added, and Varian was infinitely more confused.

"Er… what are we doing?"

"It's a surprise. Do you trust me?" she asked seriously.

"Of course," Varian said, without hesitation.

"Good," she said, her blue eyes sparkling. "Then I'll see you tonight."


	7. Varian

After dinner that evening, Varian had a stern talk with his son. He wasn't angry with Anduin at all, but he didn't exactly want the prince meddling in his personal relationships, either. Anduin remained stoic throughout the entire exchange, but Varian knew his son well enough to know that he wasn't especially contrite.

"Sometimes it's better to ask for forgiveness than for permission," Anduin said quietly, after Varian had said his piece.

"What do you mean by that?" Varian asked, frowning intently.

"I want you to be happy, Father," Anduin said earnestly. "And I'm fairly sure  _she_  makes you happy. I don't know what sort of falling out you two had, but we both know the Firelands would freeze over before either of you would do something to fix it. I just thought I'd hurry you along…"

Varian sighed.

"I understand… really, I do… and I  _do_  appreciate your concern, Anduin," he said warmly. "Just… perhaps you could work on your subtlety?"

Anduin grinned and nodded, and Varian reached out to affectionately ruffle his son's hair. As he had expected, the prince shied away; torn between embarrassment and amusement. Anduin was probably far too old now for such a gesture, but Varian wasn't quite ready to let him be all grown up just yet.

"Is that all, Father?" Anduin asked, self-consciously smoothing down his hair. "I'd like to get back to my reading, if you don't mind.

"Of course," Varian said, waving him out of the room. "I'll see you in the morning."

Anduin quickly departed Varian's chambers, eager to get back to whatever thick, dusty tome he was currently perusing. Now alone, Varian poured himself a drink and settled in to await Auriana's arrival.

At precisely eleven o'clock, Varian heard a soft rap at his door. He'd been pacing around his study for the last half an hour, trying to figure out where Auriana could be possibly taking him so late at night. He had tried to steer his thoughts away from more salacious possibilities, but it was a difficult thing. It was a moot point now that she was here, however, and he strode over to open the door.

He did a double take as Auriana entered the room, and if he hadn't been expecting her arrival, he almost wouldn't have recognised her. She looked like an entirely different person. Her dark hair was loose and wavy, and she was wearing thick black kohl on her eyes. She had a dashing red kerchief tied loosely across her nose and mouth. Everything else she wore was impossibly tight black leather, and she openly carried a dagger on her hip. She looked more like a rogue from SI:7 than a mage, and Varian was completely thrown by her appearance.

"Hello…" he said, not quite sure what to make of her ensemble.

"Are you ready?" she asked eagerly.

Auriana seemed to be in unusually high spirits, and she practically quivered with enthusiasm. It was a stark change from her usually controlled demeanour, and Varian found it very appealing.

"You tell me," Varian said, holding out his hands. "I still have no idea where we're going."

As per her instructions, he'd dressed in nondescript black, from his high-necked shirt to his gleaming boots. He'd also acquired a dark cowl and a balaclava that covered everything but his eyes, which he now pulled on over his head.

"Perfect," she said in approval. "You'll need a weapon, too."

Varian couldn't imagine why he'd need to be armed, but he trusted her enough to go along with it, at least for now. He reached for Shalamayne, but she shook her head.

"Not that. Too conspicuous. You may as well have a blinking sign above your head saying  _'my name is Varian Wrynn'_. Do you have something else?"

"I'm assuming that wherever it is that we're going, people can't know that I'm the king?" he asked, withdrawing two long knives from his personal weapons stash.

"No," she said, her face giving nothing away.

"So… where  _are_  we going?" he repeated.

"I told you. It's a surprise," she said firmly, placing her hands on her hips.

"Are we going to be in danger?" he asked, looking pointedly at his weapons as he hooked them into his belt.

"Not really," she said, shrugging.

"That's not as reassuring as you might think," Varian said slowly. "I'm starting to wonder if you're trying to kidnap me for some nefarious purpose."

"I think you're safe," Auriana replied archly. "One, it's not like I'll ever have the ability to physically overpower you. Two, why would I have to kidnap you when I'm fairly sure you'd follow me wherever I asked? And three, if I wanted to do something nefarious to you, I probably would have just killed you when we were in Tanaan."

Varian blinked.

"All good points," he acknowledged. "If a little unsettling…"

Auriana grinned broadly.

"Is there another way out of here?" she asked, looking carefully at the stone walls. "I suspect the guards might try to stop us if we walk past them fully armed."

Varian nodded in agreement. He valued the service of his guards, but they did restrict his ability to move around freely. They certainly would insist on providing him with an escort if they suspected he was in danger, and they weren't in the habit of letting him roam the streets of Stormwind alone at night.

"Of course," he said.

Stormwind Keep was riddled with secret passages. As a young boy, before the fall of Stormwind, Varian had delighted in trying to find them all. When the keep had been rebuilt, he'd insisted that the passages be reconstructed as well. There were four that ran out of his private chambers, and he led Auriana to the nearest one, concealed behind a heavy bookcase. He pulled back a certain volume, and the wall slid back to reveal a darkened passageway.

Varian went in first, and Auriana conjured a bright flame to her hand to light their way. This particular passage bought them out on the Western side of Stormwind's Old Town, through an otherwise non-descript sewer grate. After carefully crawling out, Varian and Auriana snuck past two heavily intoxicated dwarves, and were soon walking swiftly through Stormwind's cobbled streets.

Even at this late hour, the streets were reasonably busy, and most of Stormwind's taverns were still full with lively patrons. Varian looked about nervously as they walked towards the Dwarven District, but no one spared them a second glance. Auriana remained silent, still refusing to give anything away, but there was nonetheless an eager bounce to her stride. Varian followed her willingly, and suddenly realised that she was leading him into the Deeprun Tram.

"Are we going to Ironforge?" he asked, wondering what there could possibly be in the dwarven capital that warranted such secrecy.

"No," she said. "If we were going to Ironforge, I would have just teleported us there."

"Oh, of course," Varian said, wondering what it would be like to simply disappear and reappear whenever and wherever one chose.

He'd never had any real desire for magical power, but he had to admit that being able to cast portals was a particularly useful skill. That said, from what Auriana had to explained to him about the theory of creating portals, he wasn't sure if he'd ever be game to cast one, even if he had the ability.

"This way," Auriana said.

To his surprise, she looked around furtively and stepped off the tram platform, following the line of a small service tunnel. Varian looked concernedly over their heads for incoming trams as they crossed the track and moved down a small passageway that angled downwards into the dark. It was well concealed, and Varian realised it would be practically invisible from up on the platform, unless you knew what you were looking for.

The passageway lead to a heavy metal door, staunchly guarded by two of the biggest worgen Varian had ever seen.

"Pass?" one guard snarled, without preamble.

"Certainly," Auriana said, slipping a piece of parchment from a concealed pocket in her tunic. "And he's with me."

The guard snatched the proffered pass from her hands and inspected it carefully. The other narrowed his feral eyes at Varian.

"Does he know the rules?" the guard asked.

"Of course," Auriana said blithely.

Varian went to ask Auriana what rules the worgen was asking about, until he felt the distinct pressure of her small foot pushing down on his own. She gave him a significant look, and Varian wisely shut his mouth. The two worgen exchanged a glance, but seemed otherwise satisfied. The taller of the two handed the mysterious piece of parchment back to Auriana.

"Have a good night," the worgen snarled, though there was certainly no good will in his tone.

Varian's pulse quickened as they stepped through the door, completely unsure of what they would find on the other side. Auriana seemed not to have noticed his anticipation, and lead him confidently down into the dark passage, which soon opened in what looked like a rowdy bar. This bar was unique, however, in that there was an enormous fighting pit in the middle of the room, where a slender human paladin was battling what looked like a gigantic yeti. The assembled crowd roared, and Varian could smell the distinct, mingling odours of sweat, blood, and alcohol.

Auriana stopped and turned to face him.

"Surprise!" she said, with a hopeful, tentative smile.

"What  _is_  this place?" Varian murmured.

"Er… Bizmo's Brawlpub," she said. "People come from all over Azeroth to fight and watch brawls between Alliance citizens and… well, pretty much anyone or anything they can find, really."

"I had no idea this even existed," Varian mused, frowning as he looked around in amazement.

There seemed to be patrons from all corners of the Alliance. Humans, worgen, draenei, night elves, dwarves, gnomes and even Pandaren were all drinking, gambling and shouting enthusiastically for their favourite combatants. The energy and bloodlust in the air was palpable, and Varian felt his adrenaline surge in response. He had no idea what to say. His silence seemed to have concerned Auriana, for her once excited face now fell.

"You mentioned today that you missed fighting in the arena. I thought… I thought you might like a night off from being King to watch a few good fights," she explained quietly. "I'm so sorry, this was terribly inappropriate…"

"Auriana, I'm fairly certain this is the best thing you've ever done for me," Varian said firmly, breaking into a wolfish grin.

She relaxed immediately, relief flooding her features.

"Oh sure, save a man's life, nothing. Lead his armies to conquer a continent, nothing. Bring one of the greatest enemies of the Alliance to justice, nothing. But take the King to an underground fight club… quick, give that woman a medal," she muttered sarcastically.

"I'm glad you understand how this works," he retorted. "Let's get a drink."

He ushered her ahead of him towards the bar, looking down into the arena at every opportunity. From what he could see, it seemed to be a good fight. The crowd certainly agreed, roaring their excited approval every time the paladin pulled off a particularly daring move.

"I can understand why you wanted to keep my identity a secret. How long has this place been running?"

"Er… I think a few years now," she said, "But I'm not entirely certain."

"You know, part of me thinks that a responsible king would shut it down," Varian said, wincing as he watched the brawling paladin get smashed into the arena wall.

Auriana gave him a wide-eyed look over her shoulder, suddenly concerned.

"Look, I know that it's not precisely  _legal_ , but people hardly ever  _die_ …" she started to explain, when Varian leaned forward and whispered in her ear.

"Good thing I'm not a very responsible king," he whispered roguishly, and she grinned.

They strode up to the bar, where a number of scantily clad women were serving all sorts of exotic beverages.

"Aren't you a big one! What'll you have, muscles?" the closet barkeep asked, fluttering her eyelashes.

Auriana stifled a giggle, and Varian shot her a dirty look.

"Whiskey, neat," he said, giving Auriana a thoughtful look. "And she'll have a kungaloosh."

"What, are you trying to get me drunk?" Auriana whispered, as the bartender turned away to acquire the requested items.

Varian didn't give her an answer, instead choosing to simply raise his eyebrows suggestively. Auriana blushed prettily, but she didn't look displeased by his forwardness. She was more relaxed tonight than he'd ever seen her, and he wondered if he'd finally get more than a brief glimpse of her deeper nature. He hoped that tonight she could simply be Auri, instead of the battle-hardened Commander of Lunarfall, just as he hoped he would get the chance to just be Varian.

The barkeep soon returned, placing a gorgeous mahogany whiskey on the counter, along with a tall glass of pale, iridescent kungaloosh.

"For you, ten silver," she purred at Varian, leaning forwards to give him a very clear view down her blouse.

He coughed uncertainly, as Auriana rolled her eyes. He then realised that he didn't have any money. As a king, he generally didn't have a need to carry coins in his day to day activities. Fortunately, Auriana had him covered, and she tipped a handful of silver currency onto the counter with a warning glance at the barkeep. The woman accepted the coins without further comment, and Varian distinctly saw Auriana smirk.

She gathered up their drinks, and led him over towards darkened booth in the corner of the room. It was concealed enough to be more private than many of the other seats, while still affording an excellent view of the arena. Varian settled himself in, eagerly awaiting the next fight. The paladin had eventually triumphed over the giant yeti-thing, and the newest challenger was now being called into the arena.

"How do  _you_  know about this place?" Varian asked, taking a long draw of his whiskey.

"Oh, you know," she said vaguely. "I have… friends... in low places."

Varian raised an eyebrow, and she sighed.

"In between my commissions for the Alliance, I've done some freelancing and mercenary work. All within regulations, of course, but it's amazing what you can find in some parts of the world," she explained. "I spent some time with a worgen rogue in Pandaria, and he brought me in. You can only get an invitation from an existing member of the Brawler's Guild, you see."

"You're a constant surprise," he told her, smiling broadly. "I never would have pictured you in a place like this."

"Honestly, I don't come here all that often," she said, as if he might think less of her. "I'm not even in  _Stormwind_  all that often, but when I'm here… it can be nice to burn off steam, I guess."

"I can understand that," Varian said truthfully. "So who runs this place?"

"Bizmo," Auriana said, pointing up at the gnomish chopper circling over the arena.

It was piloted by a russet-haired gnome with an impressive moustache, who looked over his domain with wide and restless eyes. He was currently introducing a tiny gnome warlock, who Varian assumed was a favourite from the sudden volume of the crowd.

"No one knows where he came from," Auriana continued. "But as far as this place is concerned, he reigns supreme."

Varian nodded, turning his attention to the latest brawl. He soon lost himself in the enjoyment of the evening, shouting and cheering along with the crowd as he watched fight after fight. Auriana made no attempt to talk, choosing instead to relax languidly back in her chair as she slowly sipped her kungaloosh.

After some time, Varian realised that Auriana was watching  _him_  more than she was watching the brawls. Her blue eyes appeared inky black in the dim light of the Brawlpub, and her cheeks were fetchingly pink from the alcohol. A small smile played at the corner of her lips, and he wondered what she was thinking.

"So… would you like to try your luck in the ring?" she asked finally, after the sixth brawl had reached its inevitable bloody conclusion.

"What?"

"Why do you think I brought you here?" she said, as if it were the most obvious thing in the world.

"I thought we just came to watch," Varian said, trying not to let her see the sudden thrill that ran up his spine.

"Well, we can, if you like, I just thought you might like to get amongst it," she said lightly. "Why do you think I had you bring weapons?"

She pointed to a bulky draenei standing at the corner of the fight area.

"If you decide you'd like to fight, speak to him. He'll put you into the next available slot," she explained.

"What will I have to fight?" Varian asked.

He wasn't nervous, knowing that he was capable of fighting almost anything that they could possibly put up against him in the arena, but he did like to know what he could about his opponents.

Auriana shrugged.

"Who knows? That's part of the fun."

"I'll think about it," Varian said, torn between his yearning for a fight and his desire to stay near Auriana.

"Well, if you do, you'll need to give the fight coordinator a fake name. You can't just walk up there and announce that you're Varian Wrynn," she pointed out. "You'd cause a riot."

"Lo'Gosh?" he suggested, grinning.

Auriana snorted, and took a long sip of her kungaloosh.

"Er… a little obvious, I think," she said seriously, but her eyes sparkled.

"If you insist," Varian replied, thinking hard. "Ah, I know… one of my first trainers in the sword was named Vuk. Would that do for an alias?"

"I'm sure that'd do just fine," Auriana said, her gaze trailing to the current fight.

"What's your name?" Varian asked.

"What?"

"Well, I assume you don't go by Auriana in the ring. Someone might make the connection," Varian pointed out.

"I usually go by Eira," she said. "It was my grandmother's name, and… well, I couldn't really think of anything else."

"Very pretty," Varian said sincerely. "Certainly far too pretty for a place like this."

"Oh, I don't know about that. That name has something of a reputation in the Brawlpub, and it isn't  _pretty_ ," she said proudly, with a savage grin.

"I'd expect nothing less of you," he agreed earnestly.

The tantalizing call of the brawl arena was almost overwhelming, and Varian finally decided to surrender to the temptation.

"Are you sure no-one will figure out who I am? Or ask me to take off my mask?" he asked, rising to his feet.

"Don't worry, almost everyone down here is trying to hide their identities. No one will question you," she assured him.

"Alright then," Varian growled. "I think it's time I showed you how a warrior fights."

"Don't die…" she warned him, raising her eyebrows. "I don't really want to go down in history as the woman who killed the King of Stormwind by throwing him in a fighting pit for her own amusement."

"I'll do my best," Varian promised, giving her a mock salute.

He flexed his muscles and strolled over to the draenei fightmaster. It had been a long time since he'd fought a duel one on one, and he could barely disguise his excitement

As Auriana had predicted, the fightmaster questioned neither his name nor identity. He simply grunted, explained that the fight was no holds barred, and that Varian would have only two minutes to down his opponent before they pulled him out. Varian nodded in agreement, and before he'd really had time to think, he was teleported down into the arena.

"Now entering the arena: Vuk the warrior! It's his first time here at Brawlpub, so go easy," he heard Bizmo shout from somewhere up above.

The crowd cheered him generously, though Varian suspected that they were secretly hoping for him to lose spectacularly, untried as he was. He loosed his two long knives, dancing lightly on the balls of his feet as he awaited his opponent. He touched the knife in his right hand to his heart, and lifted it to point straight at Auriana, dedicating her the fight. It was something of an archaic gesture, borne of the grand old tournaments where knights would fight for the favour of a beautiful woman, but Auriana didn't seem to mind. She smiled in acknowledgement and leaned forwards eagerly, her pale face alive with rarely seen excitement.

"Also entering the arena: Battletron! This hunk o' junk is just waiting to explode all over you!" Bizmo yelled gleefully.

An enormous arcane golem was released into the arena, crackling with power. Varian had heard of such guardians before, but he'd never actually seen one in person. The purple and silver construct was huge, and was held together by powerful bonds of arcane mage. It slammed a foot into the ground angrily, and without any further preamble, sent a beam of energy slicing rapidly towards his head.

Caught off guard, Varian dived desperately to the side. He landed heavily on his shoulder as the energy beam raked the ground where his feet had been, and he smelt the unmistakable tang of burning metal. Varian's blood surged along with the roar of the crowd, and his fighting reflexes kicked in with full force. In an instant, he was the gladiator Lo'Gosh, and his every instinct demanded blood.

The arcane golem powered up and charged him, but this time Varian was prepared. He sidestepped neatly, and slashed hard at the golem's exposed flank. The golem staggered, but retaliated in kind by summoning a shield of floating mines around its body, which exploded at the slightest provocation. Varian suddenly had his hands full, trying to do damage to the construct while avoiding exploding a mine in his own face. He struck at the construct where he could, and soon its lower legs were scored with glancing knife blows.

Varian was fast running out of options, however. Against a flesh-and-blood opponent, his tactics would have been effective, but the golem didn't seem to be all too disturbed by the wounds to its heavy metal legs. With a sudden flash of inspiration, Varian hurled one of his knives directly at one of the orbital mines. The strike was dead on target, and the mine detonated hard. Taking advantage of the construct's temporary confusion, Varian took the opportunity to crash into its unprotected back and stab his second knife through the control crystal at the golem's core. The arcane guardian gave a high pitched, mechanical scream as it pitched forwards from the impact. With a mighty leap onto the thing's back, Varian pulled back his knife with a savage howl of triumph, and drove deeply into what appeared to be the golem's head. It was a swift, clean kill, and the construct only spasmed once before lying still. The crowd were now firmly on Varian's side, shouting his assumed name over and over.

Varian didn't care for the approval of the assembled spectators, however, and he only had eyes for Auriana. His chest heaving and heart pounding as he extricated himself from the wreck of the construct, Varian sought her pale form above the arena. She had risen to her feet, and was now leaning languorously up against the rail of the arena. She nodded approvingly as their eyes met, and her face broke into a wide grin. Varian saw his own wild, primal intensity reflected in her gaze, and they shared a brief moment of perfect understanding. In the fury of the fight, he'd been completely exposed, and he knew she'd caught a glimpse of his true nature. She'd seen the savagery and the fierce, violent passion that made up the core of him, and she hadn't flinched away. Varian raised his remaining blade to Auriana in acknowledgement of his victory as the roar of the crowd echoed in his ears, and for the first time since he'd returned to Stormwind as its king, he felt like he was entirely himself.


	8. Varian

Varian fought once more that night, and relished every second of his time in the arena. He'd tried to convince Auriana to fight, but she'd simply shook her head with an enigmatic smile, and insisted that this night was about him. They'd finally departed about an hour after midnight, and headed back towards Stormwind Keep. Varian walked deliberately slowly, wanting to prolong his time with her as long as possible. They also took a somewhat circuitous route, trying to avoid any curious guards who might stop them or recognise Varian.

"Thank you," he said sincerely. "This has been the most fun I've had in a while."

"You're welcome. I know it's not the same as being out there, fighting on the front lines, but… I thought it was something," she said quietly.

"It was definitely something," he agreed warmly. "I still can't believe that I'd never heard of the Brawlpub before."

"Well, it  _is_  a secret, underground fight club," she contended. "And I suspect that most people who know you feared that if you ever found out, you'd never leave…"

"Possibly. So why did you tell me, then?" he asked curiously.

"I've never exactly been known for my good judgement," she quipped. "Besides, I thought the…"

"Guard," he said quickly, cutting her off as he spied a patrolman in the distance.

Without thinking, he grabbed Auriana's slender wrist and pulled her around the corner of a nearby building. She ended up trapped between him and the wall, and they stood toe to toe in the shadows as they waited for the guard to pass. Varian was acutely aware of how close they were, and judging by her soft exhalation of breath, so was Auriana. The fresh, tantalising fragrance of her skin drove him to distraction, and he very much wanted to kiss her.

"Varian…" she started, as he reached down to brush a long lock of hair behind her ear.

"Don't worry," he said heavily, regretting the necessity of every word, "I'll respect your wishes. I will say this, however - you make it  _very_  difficult."

"I think the guard is gone," she murmured evenly, but neither of them moved.

Varian didn't know how long they stood there, barely an inch apart. It took every last drop of control he had not to close that gap, but he knew it wasn't his choice. He could feel Auriana trembling as she stared up at him boldly, her gaze dark and heated. Finally, she lowered her eyes, and Varian stepped away.

She moved past him back out onto the street, and strode off unusually quickly. Varian followed her in silence, unsure of what to make of their brief moment. He knew that she'd refused a relationship, but barely a second ago he'd seen real, raw desire in her eyes, and he couldn't understand why she was fighting so hard against him. It would have been easier to believe that she didn't care, rather than that she was resisting something they both clearly wanted. Varian shook his head, trying to clear his raging thoughts.

"Where are we going?" he asked, trying to break the sudden tension.

"We need to get you back to your chambers," Auriana said shortly. "Where's that tunnel entrance?"

Her earlier spontaneity was well gone, and there was a rigid set to her back and shoulders. Varian cursed inwardly. She'd been more open tonight than he'd ever seen her, but in a flash, her shields were right back up where they'd started.

"Could you not just teleport us back directly?" he asked, both genuinely curious and eager to keep her talking.

"No. Your chambers themselves are well warded. I could get us outside, where I normally arrive, but you might then have to answer some awkward questions from your guards," she explained.

"Ah. Avoiding awkward questions would be preferable," he said, eliciting a small smile from Auriana.

"If I had time to inspect the wards, I could enchant them to make an exception, but I can't do that from here," she added.

They'd arrived at the concealed grate entrance to the passage back up to the keep. After looking around carefully to see if they were being watched, Varian pulled the cover back and prepared to crawl in.

"You could come up, if you liked? You never know when you might need to teleport to me directly," he said slowly.

Varian knew he was treading on dangerous ground, but he wasn't quite ready to let Auriana return to Lunarfall just yet. It had been a long two months without her company, and he intended to take advantage of her presence for as long as possible. There was also something oddly comforting about the idea that she could come to him as she pleased, though he suspected she wouldn't be exercising  _that_  particular option anytime soon.

"When would I ever have a need to do that?" she asked suspiciously, raising an eyebrow.

"You are a loyal and sworn commander of the Alliance. Perhaps one day you might need to protect me from assassins?" he suggested, shrugging.

Auriana shook her head ruefully, but he saw her mouth quirk nonetheless.

"I really should be getting back to Lunarfall," she protested, looking about nervously.

"Please," he insisted quietly, his gaze intense. "You could have a look at the wards."

Auriana gave him a long look, but she nodded reluctantly and dropped back down into the hidden tunnel. He could see from the set of her shoulders that she was still strained, but she accepted the flimsy premise of his invitation without further argument. As before, she conjured a bright light to aid their passage, and they climbed back up to the top of Stormwind Keep, re-emerging behind the bookcase in Varian's private chambers.

Varian wasn't sure where the chamber wards were hidden, but it appeared he didn't need to know. Auriana's magical senses were keen, and she'd soon discovered the magical protections lining the room. She tinkered around with the brightly glowing wards for about ten minutes, muttering to herself under her breath. Varian watched her closely, memorising the slight furrow in her brow and the strong curve of her back as she worked.

"There. I added an exception into the spell for me alone, so I should be able to teleport here directly. In case I ever need to save you from assassins," she said drily. "The wards are otherwise intact, and will protect you as they always have."

"If I'm ever under attack, you'll be the first to know," Varian retorted. "And it'll make sneaking past my guards that much easier."

"Do you have future plans that involve us sneaking past your guards?" she asked, her expression caught somewhere between exasperation and curiosity.

"Nothing immediate, but I'm sure I'll think of something," he said slyly.

"Well, I'm sure you'll let me know," she said, with only the slightest hint of sarcasm in her voice. "I really should be getting back to Lunarfall, however."

"Will you be returning to instruct Anduin tomorrow?" Varian asked, hoping he'd get the chance to see her again.

"Unfortunately not. You'll have to apologise for me," she said, and Varian could hear the genuine disappointment in her tone. "It looks as if the Kirin Tor will have Highmaul's outer defenses down soon, and I will need to coordinate our assault on the inner sanctum."

"Anduin will miss you," Varian said. "I think he's found the lessons surprisingly interesting, despite his… ulterior motives."

Auriana's face lit up at the mention of the young prince.

"I'll admit, I've enjoyed teaching him, as well," she said warmly, "But I'm needed more at Highmaul. I left Lieutenant Gale in charge, and I can't let him have all the fun."

"Wait… Barrett Gale?" said Varian, recognising the name. "He used to serve in the Stormwind guard, before the nobles requested that I send him off to Highbank for seducing all their daughters," he explained.

Auriana chuckled, and Varian snarled jealously.

"He hasn't tried anything with you, has he?" he asked, trying to keep his tone light and neutral..

Auriana looked confused, as if she didn't quite understand the question.

"No. Why would he do that?" she said, nonplussed.

Varian shook his head. Auriana was highly intelligent, but she was woefully unobservant when it came to certain things. She had a tight, narrow focus on her magic and her command, and largely seemed to consider almost everything else irrelevant.

"You're young, attractive, and female, Auriana. You're exactly his type," Varian growled drily.

"Oh come on, Varian, we both know I'm no great beauty," she scoffed.

"Well, that's a matter of opinion…" he said, in firm disagreement. "Nevertheless, surely even  _you_ can agree that you're not some pox-ridden ogre, either."

"I'm better than poxy ogre?'" she said flatly, raising an eyebrow. "Stop it, you're making me blush."

Varian shot her a stern look.

"Just… watch out for Gale. He has a reputation, and he likes to add to it."

"He's one of my lieutenants, Varian, I wouldn't involve myself even if I  _were_  attracted to him," she said firmly.

Varian gave no reply, but he was secretly very pleased. He knew it was a somewhat petty attitude, but if he couldn't have Auriana, he didn't want her with anyone else, either.

"On that note," she said, eyeing him carefully, "I really should be on my way."

"Very well," Varian said. "Thank you for tonight."

She nodded lightly in acknowledgement, before turning away and calling on her arcane power. Varian frowned. It was crucial to him that Auriana understood the reality of what she'd done for him tonight. He knew he wasn't the most expressive of people, but he couldn't let her leave without impressing upon on her the importance of her actions.

"Auriana…" he said seriously, reaching out to catch her wrist. "I mean that. I can't tell you how long it's been since I had a chance to just be Varian."

Her expression softened, and she gave him a gentle, unguarded smile. She looked down to where his dark, calloused hand met the silvery skin of her wrist, but she didn't pull away.

"I'm glad," she said emphatically. "Really, I am. I want you to be happy, Varian."

"I am when I'm with you," he said honestly.

She shook her wrist free and stood back, but her expression was more thoughtful than tense or displeased.

"Goodnight, Varian," she said softly, surrounding herself in the warm glow of a portal spell.

"Goodnight, Auriana," he replied, and she vanished.


	9. Auriana

Auriana went to bed almost immediately upon her return to Lunarfall, but sleep did not come easily. She spent a good few hours staring up at the ceiling, brooding endlessly over the King of Stormwind. Their evening together had stirred up more doubts within her than she cared to admit, and she was seriously questioning her decision her to turn him down. Auriana wasn't always the most observant person when it came to social or romantic interactions, but Varian had made it abundantly clear that he still harboured feelings for her. He had a way of looking at her that made her feel like she was the only person in existence, and it sent shivers right down to her toes every time she remembered his keen, intense eyes.

She'd tried to keep the night light and friendly, but had let her guard slip on a number of occasions. For such a serious man, Varian could be surprisingly witty, and she'd forgotten how easy it was to talk to him when she allowed herself to relax. Watching him fight hadn't helped her turbulent thoughts much, either. Varian was an aggressive and dynamic fighter, and it was impossible not to be impressed by his audacity and sheer physical presence. More than once, she'd wondered what it would be like to be swept up in his arms, or to run her fingers across the powerful muscles of his chest…

Auriana eventually forced herself into a fitful sleep, but it was a hard won thing. She knew that her men deserved her at her best, not weary and conflicted over her relationship with the king. While she was on Draenor, her attention had to remain on Highmaul and Imperator Mar'gok, and  _not_  on Varian Wrynn.

She awoke bright and early the next day, pulled on her formidable battle robes, and headed out to western Nagrand to join up with her forces. She would have liked to sleep in for a few more hours, but she wanted to re-join her men more. They were camped around the outskirts of the ogre city, ready to enter the citadel the moment the Kirin Tor mages bought the outer defences down.

The soldiers in the camp seemed in high spirits, if a bit bored from a week of waiting. Even at this early hour, the camp was already entirely awake, with soldiers playing cards and games of chance as they awaited the morning meal.

Auriana made her way over to the command tent, where Lieutenant Barrett Gale lounged nonchalantly in the morning sun. He gave her a broad, lazy smile as she approached, and Auriana was starkly reminded of Varian's warning about the man. Gale was more imposing than handsome, but he had a certain roguish charisma that Auriana supposed some might find attractive. Not that she had any interest, of course. She also sincerely doubted that Gale had any interest in  _her_ , despite Varian's suspicions.

"Good morning, Commander!" Gale called as she approached, leaping to his feet.

Auriana acknowledged him with a smile and a nod, pleased to be out in the clear blue Nagrand morning. The crisp air did wonders for focusing her troubled thoughts, and she was able to put everything except Highmaul out of her mind.

"How's that barrier coming, Lieutenant?" she asked.

"I'm not sure, actually. I honestly don't understand half of the things you mages say," he said, grinning.

"I suppose I'll have to translate, then," Auriana quipped. "Come on."

Together, they strolled over to the portal that marked the entrance to the inner citadel.

"Have you had any trouble holding the camp?" Auriana asked as they walked.

"Not at all," Gale replied. "There were a few Horde spies from Frostwall poking around a couple of days ago, but we haven't seen anything since. It seems like they're content to leave us alone, though I couldn't tell you why."

Auriana nodded, though she wasn't as surprised as Gale. She had something of an unspoken understanding with the lanky troll who commanded Frostwall, and she guessed he was quite happy for the Alliance to rid the world of the threat of Highmaul without having to sacrifice any of his own resources.

Gale continued to talk animatedly as they walked through the outer city, interspersing his formal report with humorous anecdotes about the camp. He was an engaging speaker, but Auriana only listened with half an ear, occasionally contributing an encouraging nod or grunt. Gale didn't seem to mind, content as he was by the sound of his own voice.

"All in all, it's been fairly quiet out here, though those mages of yours have been working hard. Speaking of, I've been meaning to ask - how did we obtain the services of the Kirin Tor?" Gale said, finally asking her a direct question. "I mean, are you a member?"

"Yes, I suppose," Auriana said, frowning as she considered the question. "I did my training in Dalaran, of course, and I fought for the Kirin Tor during the Nexus War in Northrend. As the campaign turned towards Ulduar and Icecrown, however, I found it harder to respect Dalaran's policy of neutrality."

"Well, you don't strike me as the neutral type," Gale agreed emphatically, adding an awkward, belated, "Commander."

"Yes, well… I eventually petitioned Archmage Rhonin for leave in order to enlist in the Alliance military, so I haven't held an  _official_ rank within the Kirin Tor for years. I'm still recognised as a member, but my first loyalty is to the Alliance, and to Stormwind more specifically."

"Don't let Jaina hear you say that," a clear, high-pitched voice chimed in. "You know she'd like to have you back in Dalaran."

Auriana recognised the voice as belonging to her friend Kinzie Swiftspanner, a gnome mage who had been part of the Kirin Tor delegation. Auriana and Gale had now reached the entrance to Highmaul citadel, where the group of mages were hard at work under the watchful gaze of Elwin Lansing. Kinzie and a couple of other mages sat off to the side, taking a break from the difficult magical work, and they looked up interestedly as Auriana and Gale approached.

"But then I'd miss all this," Auriana protested, gesturing to the assembled camp below them. "Sorry, Kinzie, but I'm right where I want to be."

"I'll never understand how you could prefer camping out in the woods, surrounded by monsters, to a nice clean apartment in Dalaran," Kinzie teased warmly.

"Maybe I just have more in common with the monsters," Auriana shot back, making the little gnome laugh.

"Er… good morning, Commander," Lansing interjected, interrupting the light banter between Auriana and Kinzie.

"Morning, Lansing," Auriana replied. "How's the portal?"

"As I wrote in the report I sent back to Lunarfall, I expect we'll have it down by midday today," the senior mage said crisply. "We're working through the final enchantments now."

Auriana nodded, reaching out with her own magical senses to inspect Lansing's work. She didn't have the patience to work with such intricate spells, but she could appreciate the skill of the other mages. Highmaul was protected by powerful, ancient magics, and one wrong step could mean death or widespread destruction. She knew enough to see that only a few wards remained, and she fully trusted in Lansing's ability to safely break them down within the day.

"You've done a wonderful job, Lansing," she said sincerely. "I'll start bringing up the men, so that we can enter as soon as that barrier falls."

Much of the rest of the day passed in a blur as Auriana focussed on marshalling her men. She had no idea who or what they'd face inside Highmaul, but she could make sure they were as prepared as possible. There was a lot of pent up energy amongst the ranks after a week of down time, and she could tell her men were spoiling for a fight. Privately, Auriana felt the same. She'd run such a gamut of emotions in dealing with Varian this week, and she craved the focus and physicality of a battle.

As promised, Lansing's mages breached the outer defenses in the early afternoon. Auriana's forces were ready and eager, and they stormed into the inner sanctum the moment she gave the command. Given the tight quarters within the citadel, there was no room for a full invasion, as there had been at Grommashar. Instead, Auriana was backed by a tight-knit, focused strike force of her best men, hand-picked for the mission.

The Alliance forces poured into the citadel in a wave of clanging silver steel, and quickly put down all early resistance. A number of ogre defenders attempted to halt their advance, only to be slaughtered in a series of short, brutal engagements. Auriana lead from the front, and she was soon soaked in sweat and gore. Curiously, however, no real challenge was marshalled against them, and Auriana idly wondered what it would take to lure Imperator Mar'gok from his throne.

The inner sanctum was well built, with high, arching ceilings and imposing stonework. The long corridors were lit by brightly glowing braziers, and Auriana found herself reluctantly impressed by the ogre civilisation. In truth, she would have preferred to leave the ogres well enough alone, but they  _were_ in league with the Iron Horde, and they hid many magical secrets that would be of great benefit to the Draenor campaign. Auriana would do her duty, of course, but she increasingly found that she wouldn't do it entirely without regret.

As she lead her strike team forwards, Auriana heard a heavy thumping sound from somewhere up ahead, echoing off the inner walls of the citadel. It sounded like someone was throwing a boulder around a large, empty room, and she was instantly concerned. She held up a hand for pause, and her men adopted defensive poses as she personally went to investigate the strange sounds. She was flanked by both Delvar Ironfist and Lieutenant Gale, who hovered over her protectively as she crept forwards.

The corridor soon opened out into a massive, arena-like chamber, at the centre of which stood two monstrous humanoids. Each was at least forty feet tall, with wicked shoulder spikes and a single, blood red eye.

" _What_  are  _those_?" Gale whispered in awe.

"Ogron," said Auriana, recognising the strange, bulky creatures at once. "I didn't think there were any that big still alive…"

"They're huge!" Gale exclaimed, drawing the attention of the lighter brown creature.

"Who is dat?" it bellowed, focusing its single, terrifying eye on Auriana.

As it spoke, its darker companion cracked its knuckles menacingly.

"Da King don't wanna see nobody! Go away!" it shouted thickly.

"I don't think they're very bright," Auriana mused to Gale and Ironfist, her voice low, "But they're still likely to be a problem. Bring up the strike force."

As Gale ducked back through the entrance to rally her men, Auriana stepped out to face the twin ogron.

"I'm afraid we won't be leaving anytime soon, and we intend to have words with your king," she yelled challengingly. "Stand aside, and we will let you live. Otherwise, you will learn what it means to defy the Alliance."

At her words, the Alliance men poured into the room and fell into a standard offensive formation. The chamber filled with the sound of scraping steel as weapons were unsheathed and shields were brought to bear. The air crackled with magic as her mages, warlocks, druids, and shaman called on their powers, and Auriana's heart swelled with pride at the might of Lunarfall. She drew her own spellblade, and sent frost racing up her arms.

"Last chance," she told the ogron. "Don't make me kill you."

Even the slow-witted ogron knew a threat when they saw one. They both flexed their muscles in sudden alarm, and Auriana suddenly knew there was no chance of a peaceful resolution.

"Oy! Dey fightin'!" one cried, slamming its two-toed foot into the ground in agitation.

"Fight 'em back, den!"

"Alliance!" Auriana howled. "Attack!"

Her men complied without hesitation, charging fearlessly into the fray as the two giant ogron did the same. The black-grey ogron put its head down and charged, scattering the neat, orderly rush of her forces. Two unlucky soldiers were too slow in moving, and they were thrown wildly into the air by the rampaging ogron. Auriana winced as she heard the distinct, nauseating snap of bone, but she didn't have time to check on the fallen soldiers. Instead, she summoned as much power as she was able, and began to wreak havoc on the monstrous ogron.

The Alliance forces had instinctively broken into two groups, surrounding each of their two enemies. Her melee soldiers ducked in and out, trying to confuse and divide the attention of the ogron so that no single man had to absorb the brunt of their attack. While they fought, her casters rained a deadly barrage of magic down upon the enraged beasts.

The ogron had thick hides, but they were not immune to magic, and they soon began to stagger under the pressure of the combined Lunarfall assault. Refusing to capitulate, however, the light brown ogron howled in fury and hurled himself into a vicious whirlwind attack. He spun wildly, his great weapons creating an impenetrable storm of death. The men closest to the attack fell instantly, practically torn apart by the savage assault.

"Scatter!" Auriana screamed, simultaneously blinking out of the way as she conjured an arcane shield around as many soldiers as she was able.

Her men didn't need to be told twice, and they fled before the whirling onslaught. Auriana snarled in anger and disappointment, and decided it was time to change tactics.

"Chains!" she ordered, magically amplifying her voice so that she could be heard over the roar of the ogron and the sound of battle.

There was no way her men would be able to bring down such monstrous creatures while they were able to stand and move. This wasn't the first time Auriana had been tasked with fighting creatures many times larger than the average human, however, and she'd been forced to develop a number of strategies for taking on such giants. One of her preferred tactics involved the use of mages and shaman to create great chains of solid ice and earth that could be used to bring down giants for her melee to slay. She'd drilled her casters in the technique endlessly, and they complied with her orders like a well-oiled machine.

Working together, the mages and shaman managed to form four great chains of earth, reinforced by several feet of solid ice. With the aid of the melee soldiers, Auriana's casters manoeuvred the chains into the best possible position, and then used them as tripwires to bring the ogron down. The two hulking creatures tumbled together, and impacted the stone floor with identical, bone-rattling thuds.

"Quickly! Freeze them in place!" Auriana called to the Kirin Tor, even as she summoned a wall of ice of her very own.

The air was suddenly chilled as it filled with frost magic. The ogron were strong, but the mages could work faster, and soon the twin beasts were bound down by great chunks of ice. Her melee soldiers took full advantage of the opportunity, swarming up over the downed ogron to stab and hack at the most vulnerable parts of the fallen creatures.

The ogron groaned and thrashed in fury, but they were unable to escape the ice summoned by Auriana's mages. It took some time, but eventually the two great giants succumbed to the might of Lunarfall. With final, agonising groans, they both lay still against the blood-soaked chamber floor.

Auriana released her magic with a wistful sigh, and stared out thoughtfully as her men clambered down from atop the dead ogron. The fierce joy that had swelled within her at the start of the fight faded as quickly as it had arisen as she began to tally the aftermath of the conflict.

"See to the wounded," she ordered, moving to help a nearby druid with an injured rogue.

In the final reckoning, Auriana had only lost twelve of her fighting force of two hundred men. Several more had been wounded, but she still had over a hundred and fifty soldiers to lead further into Highmaul citadel. It had been a good, clean fight, as far as these things went, but Auriana was still disheartened by the loss or injury of even a single one of her men. She paused to kneel by the corpses of those unfortunate soldiers who had fallen to the great ogron, and said a quick prayer to the Light. It didn't matter how many battles she fought, Auriana had never gotten used to the reality of asking men to die for her, and it would always weigh heavily on her soul.

She felt a gentle hand on her back, and she looked up to see Barrett Gale staring down at her with a surprisingly sympathetic smile.

"Up you get, Commander," he said gently.

Auriana shook her head, pushing aside her grief for another time, and refocused her attention on the siege of Highmaul. She stepped away from Gale with a grateful nod, and turned to address her men.

"Evacuate the seriously wounded and the fallen back to the camp. For those of you who are still capable of fighting, we will press on. I'll have Mar'gok's head come nightfall," she swore.

She looked over at the great stone staircase that lead higher into the citadel, and her heart hardened in determination.

"Let's finish this," she muttered under her breath, striding swiftly forwards into the heart of Highmaul.


	10. Auriana

The remaining Alliance forces moved higher into the citadel, until they finally came across another large chamber that held the strangest looking ogre Auriana had ever seen. He was tall and bulky, as ogres inevitably were, and was tattooed with odd, moving marks, the likes of which Auriana had never seen. His eyes were shrouded by a dark, shifting cover, and a lone horn thrust upwards from the top of his head. Auriana reached out cautiously with her senses, only to recoil a second later in confusion. The ogre seemed to be  _of_  magic, but somehow  _outside_ it, and she felt her stomach shift uneasily.

"You dare enter these halls?" the strange ogre called, turning his eyeless gaze upon her. "You dare face Ko'ragh the Breaker?"

"I would speak to your Imperator," Auriana said. "Your ogron lieutenants refused my offer of clemency and paid with their lives. I suggest that you do not make the same mistake."

To her surprise, the ogre laughed harshly, sending gooseflesh running up her arms.

"Mage," he said, rolling the word slowly over his tongue as if tasting it. "You don't know what I am, do you?"

"Quite frankly, I don't care," Auriana said threateningly. "If you intend to keep me from Mar'gok, I'll teach you the price of your insolence."

She dropped into a fighting stance, her gaze implacable. She hadn't really expected Ko'ragh to take her up on her offer of mercy, and was entirely unsurprised when he drew his heavy weapon.

"Your magic is powerless here!" he shouted, and leapt forwards with an infuriated snarl.

Auriana's men responded immediately, moving to to engage the ogre head on. For her part, Auriana summoned her will and hurled a terrible bolt of frost at the strange ogre, ready to show Ko'ragh what true power looked like. To her utter shock, however, the frostbolt hit some sort of invisible barrier around the ogre, and simply vanished into thin air. Auriana started in shock, unable to remember the last time she'd failed to cast an offensive spell. She tried a second time, throwing all her concentration behind the spell, but it was to no avail. Ko'ragh hadn't appeared to have taken any sort of damage at all, and he grinned widely at her increasingly panicked confusion.

Auriana looked about frantically, and met the gaze of several other bewildered casters. It appeared that she was not the only one whose magic had failed. Every single magic user, from warlocks to priests, was either staring around in wild confusion, or looking down at their hands in shock. Auriana's heart sank, and somewhere in the back of her mind she heard Varian's voice reminding her that one day she might have to fight without her magic.

_How is he always right_? she wondered, banishing the thought with an irritated growl.

"Casters!" she ordered, quickly re-gathering her composure. "The ogre is immune to magic! We cannot fight him directly. Defend the melee!"

Still recovering from the shock of their now-uselessness, her casters were slow to respond, but they managed to eventually rally. Auriana quickly learned that her hunch was correct, and that while Ko'ragh couldn't be directly affected by magic  _himself_ , he couldn't stop her spellcasters from successfully targeting their own comrades. At her command, Auriana's casters summoned a range of shields and spells to boost the power of those who were able to damage Ko'ragh with their non-magical weaponry. They also managed the influx of volatile anomalies that flooded the room, while the melee engaged Ko'ragh directly.

The fight was a long one, given that they didn't have the benefit of magic to aid in the destruction of Ko'ragh. The warriors that fought with swords, bows, and axes were powerful, but they couldn't ever hope to match the pure devastation that someone like a warlock or a mage could bring to bear. Nevertheless, her men worked tirelessly, hacking and slashing at Ko'ragh relentlessly until he succumbed to the brutal assault. Auriana breathed a sigh of relief as the ogre breaker finally tumbled to his knees, and she prayed fervently that there were no other breakers in the citadel. She couldn't even remember a time when she'd lived without her magic, and the thought of losing it scared her more profoundly than she would have ever thought.

She walked over the corpse of Ko'ragh and nudged it with her foot, her brow heavily furrowed. Her men had wrought a victory, but it had been a narrow one.

"I've never come across such resistance to magic," Lansing observed as he joined her, great concern evident in his tone. "I wonder what Mar'gok did to this one to have given him such power?"

"I don't know," Auriana said slowly. "I've never had my magic just…  _fail_ … like that."

"Nor I. It's very concerning," Lansing said, rubbing a hand over his chin. "Two of my mages are injured. I thought I might send them back to Dalaran with the body, so that the Kirin Tor might study it further. With your permission, of course."

"Good idea," Auriana agreed quickly. "The sooner we can figure out a way to counter a breaker, the better. The rest of us will press on as soon as we're able, however. I don't want to give Mar'gok time to build up his defenses. This ends tonight."

* * *

After a short rest, Auriana's forces ascended higher, making quick work of the Imperator's remaining bodyguards. After Ko'ragh, there were no real powers left standing to keep Auriana from her goal, and at long last, she found herself outside the Imperator's sanctum. She could feel the swelling power from within, and she turned to prepare her men for the final assault on the formidable Mar'gok.

"Lansing, we're going to need an arcane shield to protect our forces from Mar'gok. Hold back as much of his magic as you can, and we'll do the rest."

"Auriana, we should link," suggested Lansing. "We'll have a far better chance of countering him together."

"As you wish, Lansing," she said. "Make your preparations, and I'll…"

"I meant you, too," Lansing interrupted. "Surely you can feel Mar'gok's power, even from here. I'm skilled, but you're the only one among us who might come close to matching him in terms of raw ability. Our melee will be like lambs to the slaughter if we can't provide an effective counter to his magic."

Auriana bit her lip in frustration. She'd much rather engage Mar'gok directly than provide a defensive line for the rest of her forces, but she could see the wisdom in Lansing's argument.

"Very well," she said in agreement, preparing herself to open up to his control.

She didn't particularly like being a link in the chain, rather than the person controlling the flow of magic, but she understood the practicalities of deferring to Lansing's greater experience. To her surprise, however, he shook his head and opened himself up instead, ready for  _her_  to forge the link.

"You should be the nexus for the spell," he said firmly.

"You're more experienced," she pointed out, furrowing her brow.

"But you're stronger," Lansing countered. "As I said, if anyone has a chance to match Mar'gok, it's you. Finesse isn't going to mean a thing if he can break through our defenses."

Auriana nodded nervously, knowing how much linking tested her fury, but opened herself up nonetheless. Lansing joined with her almost immediately, and the other members of the Kirin Tor soon followed. Auriana could feel each of them in the back of her mind as a bright point of light, and she was soon surging with raw power. It was a heady and intoxicating feeling, and it took several deep breaths before she was able to regain a semblance of control. These mages were far more powerful than those she had linked with at Grommashar, and her temptation to abuse the link grew exponentially stronger. She could feel her hands shaking with excess energy, and hastily tucked them into her robes before anyone saw. Kinzie, however, had seen, and was now looking at her curiously, her normally bright expression unusually dark.

"Auri? Are you alright?" she asked slowly.

Auriana turned to face the gnome mage and blinked. For a second, she didn't see her friend, but only the raw power that Kinzie represented, raw power that she could  _take…_

"I'm fine," she snapped, more to herself than Kinzie. "Let's get moving."

Without any further fanfare, Auriana extended her will to shatter the wards protecting Mar'gok's arcane sanctum, and forced her way into the room. The Imperator rose to his feet as the Alliance forces fanned out, his twin heads both lifted in haughty arrogance.

"You dare assault the seat of my power?" he demanded, his voice echoing off the stone walls. "Is this the work of that traitor Cho'gall? Kneel and swear fealty to me, and I may yet spare your lives for my coliseum."

"Imperator Mar'gok," Auriana called, her voice ringing with more confidence than she actually felt. "Highmaul has fallen. Your city is mine. Surrender the Sigil and I will spare your life."

"Do you really think you can take  _me_ , mageling?" Mar'gok snarled. "Who are you to stand against the might of the Gorian Empire?"

"We are the Alliance, and we bow to  _no-one_ ," she declared, with fierce pride. "In the name of High King Varian Wrynn, I order you to stand down, or be destroyed."

Mar'gok's twin faces darkened, clearly unimpressed by her refusal to simply roll over and die. He took a menacing step forwards, and Auriana's heart chilled as she felt the sudden surge of power within him. She exchanged a glance with Lansing, the senior mage's expression doing little to reassure her that they could actually defeat Mar'gok.

"You will learn why I am king, and you are little more than peasants," the Imperator proclaimed, and launched into a brutal assault without any more preamble.

The room was suddenly alive with flying magic and the clash of steel. Auriana drew on her linked mages, and channeled their power into a formidable arcane shield. She directed the shield cleverly, protecting her men from the worst of what Mar'gok had to offer. She caught every spell she could, matching Mar'gok's power with her own steely eyed determination. Emboldened by her steadfast protection, her men fought with alacrity against the furiously casting Imperator. Mar'gok was clever, positioning both himself and his spells well to avoid the worst of what the Alliance had to offer, but Auriana was confident that her forces would wear him down eventually. With the linked power of the Kirin Tor mages, Auriana felt as if she could hold her shield forever, and the second Mar'gok made a mistake, it would cost him his heads.

For an all too brief moment, Auriana reveled in her inevitable victory, until she felt a strange, electric burst of power run up her arms. Her eyes met those of the ogre king, and with a falling stomach, she suddenly realised that Mar'gok had merely been toying with them.

"My power knows no limit!" the Imperator screamed fearlessly, doubling the intensity of his attacks as if it cost him nothing.

Auriana felt her shield weaken, and she tried desperately to direct the dwindling construct to those who needed it most. Unfortunately, this left a large group of her forces unprotected, a lapse that Mar'gok punished to the full extent of his ability. In a moment of pure horror, Auriana felt one of her links break, and she screamed in agony as she realised it was  _Kinzie_ who had been erased so unceremoniously from her mind. The gnome mage simply vanished, caught in the chest by a stray arcane mine. Mar'gok laughed his victory, his two pairs of eyes alive with savage glory.

"Learn your place!" he snarled, crowing over Kinzie's swift and sudden demise.

_They're all going to die,_ Auriana realised, fighting back a rising sense of panic as she watched another group of soldiers fall.

She now understood that Mar'gok was simply too strong, despite the best efforts of the Kirin Tor. He'd had decades of experience, and he wielded the arcane with the strength and finesse of a true master. Auriana knew she'd never have a chance of beating him, unless something changed drastically. She wracked her mind for any spell, any strategy that might save them, until she realised that she only had one choice. It was a choice that might cost Auriana her life, if not her very soul, but she realised that she'd do whatever it took to save what remained of Lunarfall's forces.

"I'm sorry," she whispered.

She had no idea who she was talking to - herself, perhaps, or the fallen Kinzie, or her brave men, or perhaps even Varian - but she felt the need to beg for absolution, given what she was about to do. She heard Mar'gok's laugh, high and cruel over the screams of her dying soldiers, and the decision was made.

Auriana closed her eyes, muttered a quick prayer to the Light, and willingly unleashed her rage.


	11. Auriana

Auriana felt a powerful spark kindle in the pit of her stomach as her unfettered rage took hold. The spark soon became a roaring bonfire as it raced its way along her arms to the tips of her fingers, coalescing as raw, untamed magic. Every inch of her felt like it was aflame, but it was a sweet agony, and she delighted in the burn. Her eyes flew open, and the world snapped into crystal clear focus. Time seemed to slow down, and she felt curiously calm, as if she were the eye of a great, swirling tempest.

"Enough!" she heard herself scream, as if from a distance, as she recklessly shattered the arcane shield she had been holding. "I will choke you on your magic and drown you in your  _blood_ , Mar'gok!"

Mar'gok's casting paused for the barest second, and he finally gave her his attention. She knew from the look in his eyes that he'd sensed the change within her, and if anyone were to understand how much power she was now drawing, it was Mar'gok. Auriana grinned savagely as she recognised the expression on his dense ogre faces.

The Imperator was  _afraid_.

Auriana's grin widened as she realised she was still linked to the Kirin Tor mages who had managed to remain standing. When she'd shattered the shield and stopped directing the flow of their collective magic, they'd begun to cast at Mar'gok in earnest, though the link between each of them remained strong. The air was thick with flying spells from all schools of magic, but it all looked slow and weak to Auriana's now furious eyes.

_Pitiful_ , her rage growled.  _Such a waste._

Not a one of the Kirin Tor mages could hold a candle to the depths of Auriana's natural power, but it infuriated her that even the slightest drop of magic would go to waste. None of them were casting to their fullest, having been  _brainwashed_  by the Kirin Tor to believe in the concepts of safety and limits when it came to spellcasting. Auriana growled low in her chest. If the Kirin Tor wouldn't do what was necessary, then  _she_  would.

Normally, a link between mages was a thing of serene connectedness, but Auriana didn't have time for anything that even resembled harmony. She turned her burning gaze upon the closest mage, vaguely recognising Elwin Lansing in the second before she began to draw on vast amounts of his power. He cried out in surprise and pain, trying to resist her dominance, only to collapse in shock a second later as she drained him nearly dry. She felt along for the next mage in the chain, and then the next, and soon the room was filled with fainting mages as Auriana seized their power for her own. She could hear the unrest amongst her soldiers, shouting in fear as they saw the mages fall, but she was entirely beyond caring.

Between her own considerable abilities, the raw energy of her berserker rage, and now the surge of power stolen from the linked mages, Auriana became a terrifying beacon of arcane power. She was certainly the greatest threat in the room, a fact which Mar'gok now fully realised. He ceased trying to split his focus among her soldiers, and instead engaged Auriana in a one-on-one magical duel.

Fuelled by her rage, Auriana could feel her face twist into a gleeful snarl as she threw herself into the fight with abandon, matching Mar'gok spell for spell. She had a fierce love for duelling, and she was in her element as she engaged the sorcerer king. Mar'gok had experience and knowledge of the countless arcane secrets hoarded by the Gorian Empire, but Auriana had her fury, and an utter lack of concern for whether she lived or died. She exercised the full extent of her power without a single thought for safety, be it her own or anyone else's. She could feel blood pouring from her nose as she summoned more and more power, but the metallic tang against her lips only served to drive her into a greater frenzy.

Auriana lost track of time and space as she fought, losing herself in the magnificent, endless flow of magic. She called upon frost, arcane, and fire all, casting spells that she never would have dared attempt had she been in her right mind. Surprisingly, she found that her abilities with fire had dramatically improved. She suddenly understood what it was to  _burn_ , and she delighted in conjuring great, cascading waves of flame. Somewhere deep inside, she began to feel the physical strain of her recklessness, but she didn't care. Auriana now lived for nothing else save for the magic.

A small fragment of her mind remained focused on Mar'gok, countering every spell he attempted, and punishing him with her own brutally effective casts. The ogre king's faces were contorted in concentration and open fear, and with a vicious, bloodthirsty snarl, Auriana realised that she was  _winning_.

"Who are  _you_ , Mar'gok, to stand against  _me_?" she roared wildly, throwing the Imperator's earlier words back in his face as she bore her will down upon him. " _Learn your place_."

Mar'gok stumbled as she hammered him with fire, and Auriana sensed her chance. The ogre sorcerer had spent himself trying to contain her, and he had utterly failed. Auriana strode forwards through a curtain of flame, blasting Mar'gok's last, feeble attempt at a spell from her path, and prepared a mighty death blow.

"Ha!" she screamed triumphantly, burning the ogre's heart from his chest with a powerful blast of flame.

As Mar'gok fell, the room fell strangely silent, and all Auriana could hear was the frantic pounding of her own heart. She stalked over to the charred corpse of the once-mighty Imperator, and savagely tore the Sigil of Sorcerer King from his fat, stubby fingers. She held the ring up above her head and screamed her triumph. The Sigil was big enough to fit over her slender wrist, and it hummed with dangerous, forbidden magics.

The ring glinted temptingly in the dying light, and Auriana wondered what she would be capable of with such an artifact at her disposal. She could sense the deep, powerful magic contained within the ring, and she had a sudden vision of herself atop Highmaul, ruling as the new Imperator. Here she was, surely the equal of any demigod, and yet the Alliance had only seen fit to make her a mere commander. Less than that - she was here as Khadgar's  _errand girl_ , sent to retrieve a ring as if she could not slaughter the Archmage as soon as look at him.

_Why shouldn't I take it?_  she wondered.  _With this kind of power, I could forge the greatest empire Draenor has ever known..._

Her rapid, rambling thoughts were interrupted by the loud ring of steel on stone, and she whirled to see a war-torn band of Alliance soldiers staring at her in open-mouthed shock.

_My men,_  she remembered vaguely.  _Men who could_ serve _._

If she were to be empress of Highmaul, she would need followers. She lifted her chin with an imperious stare, and she prepared to beat the Alliance men into supplication. They would kneel before her, or be destroyed.

_Stop_ , a small, firm voice said from somewhere inside her, but Auriana's rage refused to listen

"Commander?" she heard someone say uncertainly, the sound barely audible over the furious ringing in her ears. "Are… are ye alright, lass?"

It was Delvar Ironfist. She turned upon him, flames dancing along her fingertips, and she wanted nothing more than to teach the undead knight what  _true_ death meant.

_STOP_ , came the voice again, louder this time, and Auriana hesitated.

She blinked rapidly as she was torn in two, vacillating wildly between her unslaked rage and her faintly remembered love for her men. There was real fear in Ironfist's eyes, and she didn't miss the fact that his hands tightened on the haft of his axe. A distant part of her mind reminded her that she'd once told Ironfist of her secret fury, and had warned him what to do in the event that she was unable to maintain control. Ironfist had doubted her warning, she recalled, and yet here they were, with Auriana rapidly losing the battle for the better half of her soul.

The fireblast at Auriana's fingertips wavered as she remembered herself for a moment, only to have her fury reassert its dominance as it howled for Ironfist's blood. An agonised scream tore from her throat as she wrestled with her conflicting desires to alternatively protect or obliterate her men.

"Run!"

She managed to choke out the single word as her fury surged, and she turned away, clinging to the fleeting vestiges of her control. Her men were not stupid, and they had seen exactly the kind of mayhem she was capable of unleashing. They didn't have to be told twice, and Auriana tried to block out the sound of scraping steel and heavy footfalls as her soldiers fled for their safety.

Auriana heard that slam of the great stone door as they abandoned her, and she was left alone with nothing but the corpse of Mar'gok for company. She collapsed to the ground, clenching her fists so tight that she drew blood from her palms. The pain paled in comparison to the magic tearing its way through her veins, as she desperately sought any kind of release. She sent arcane explosion after arcane explosion blasting away from her body as she lay on the cold stone floor, twitching and shivering as she tried to expel her excess power.

Auriana could no longer remember a time when she wasn't burning. She tore her hair blindly from its neat bindings, and shuddered as it tumbled across her shoulders. Her fingers scraped across the stone floor, drawing blood, as hot, furious tears stained her cheeks. She had no idea how long she lay on the floor of the Arcane Sanctum, screaming and shaking as she waged a war for control of her very soul.

The only thing holding her in even slightly in check was the half-remembered voice in the back of her mind that had pleaded for her to stop. The voice was not her own, however, but rather one deep, calm and oddly familiar. With a sudden lurch, Auriana realised that it sounded like  _Varian_. She latched on to his name like a lifeline, dragging herself away from her rage and towards the thought of her king. His handsome, square-jawed face blossomed in her mind's eye, and she focused everything she had on the memory. She couldn't imagine what the King would think if he could see her now, blood drying on her lower jaw as her body twisted and contorted on the ground. She felt a hot rush of shame, but she found the feeling strangely comforting. Shame was at the very least not rage, and it was the first different emotion that she'd felt since embracing her inner fire.

With every thought of Varian, Auriana dragged herself back from the abyss. She remembered all of him, from the proud intensity of his gaze to the rich boom of his sarcastic laugh, and with each thought her heartbeat slowed. Gradually, achingly, the fire faded from her veins, and finally Auriana came back to her senses.

The chamber around her was now dark, and she vaguely wondered how much time had passed. With Mar'gok's death, the braziers lighting the great stone citadel had extinguished, and Auriana realised that they must have been tied into in his magic. Auriana was reluctant to cast any sort of spell after the disaster she'd just caused, but it soon began apparent that she would need light if she were to make her way out of the citadel. After several long minutes of deep breathing, Auriana finally summoned a small burst of fire to her hand. It was a faint, reluctant thing, but it was sufficient enough to ignite a nearby torch upon the wall. The single spell, normally such a tiny magic, sent a dull ache through her temples. Auriana had pushed herself to her physical limit in fighting Mar'gok, and she knew it would be several days before she regained her full capacity.

At the thought of Mar'gok, Auriana turned her head to inspect the nearby corpse. Her stomach churned in revulsion as she saw the charred, ruined mess that had once been the Imperator's chest, and she clenched her fists as she remembered that it was  _she_  who had done such horrific damage. She saw something gleam faintly beside him in the torchlight, and she realised that the Sigil of the Sorcerer King had rolled away in her hysterical throes. Auriana walked slowly over to retrieve the thick band from where it had come to rest. She felt a faint tingle of temptation as she picked up the powerful relic, but she beat it down brutally, sending it back to the dark place within her soul from whence it came. The artifact belonged to Khadgar now, and she would be glad to see the back of it. The Alliance had won the day, but she wondered if she had paid too great a price for the victory.

Eager to leave the sanctum behind her, Auriana turned quickly and headed down towards the lower levels of Highmaul citadel. She could have simply teleported out, but she found that walking was oddly calming, and it gave her time to gather her thoughts. Moreover, she was downright afraid to face her men, afraid of what she would see when they looked up at her, and the longer she could put it off, the better. The halls were eerie and quiet in dancing torchlight, and Auriana was sorely tempted to simply lock herself away in Highmaul for good.

It was raining by the time she emerged into the lower city. Auriana was soon soaked and shivering, but she felt it was nothing less than she deserved. In the near distance, she could see her forces packing down the temporary war camp and preparing to evacuation to Lunarfall. The wounded were being well looked after, and she could see the bright, soothing glow of healing magics as they lit up the overcast sky.

The busy camp fell impossibly still and silent as she approached. Auriana lacked the easy charisma and geniality of some of the other Alliance leadership, but she was generally well-liked and well-respected. She was used to seeing trust and comradeship on the faces of her men, but instead she now saw only shock, and something that looked a lot like fear. She stiffened, her heart twisting as the full realisation of what she had lost in her rage hit her like a battering ram.

"Fall… fall back to Lunarfall," she said finally, her voice trembling. "Send the most critically wounded first. You can… you can call on Stormshield for aid if our healers alone are insufficient."

No one in the crowd moved. They all simply stared back at her, a haunting, deafening silence in the air. Even the normally jubilant Lieutenant Gale seemed stunned. Auriana didn't dare meet the gaze of any of the Kirin Tor mages who had regained consciousness. From what she could see, they were all alive, despite the brutal manner in which she had turned the link against them, but that didn't ease her turmoil in the slightest.

"I'm sorry," she mumbled blindly, her voice cracking. "I… I need to see Khadgar."

Auriana gripped the hard-won sigil ring tightly, clinging on to the only positive thing that had come from this terrible day. Unable to take the stares any longer, she called down a portal to Zangarra, and disappeared as fast as she was physically able.

* * *

Khadgar's tower was carefully warded, and it was only possible to teleport directly to the outskirts of the area. From there, Auriana had to take a second, short range portal in order to reach the tower proper. The outer portal was carefully guarded, and the current watch reeled in surprise as they recognised her. Auriana belatedly realised that she must have looked a terrible sight, with her bloody face, battle-worn robes and soaked hair. She didn't say a word to the watch guards, however, merely nodding in acknowledgement as she stepped into the portal. She was carried downwards in a burst of arcane magic, and was deposited on the front stairs of the mage tower.

Auriana swept inside, climbing the stairs to Khadgar's personal study. She'd been to Zangarra many times, and knew it almost as well as her own garrison. It was now quite late at night, but if she knew Khadgar, he'd still be awake, poring over some arcane tome or another. Her suspicion was proven correct as she pushed past Cordana Felsong into Khadgar's private quarters.

The Archmage looked up from his book in surprise as she entered, his warm expression turning dark as he took in her dishevelled appearance.

"Auri... " Khadgar said worriedly. "What… what happened? Are you alright?"

At the sight of him, Auriana felt her blood surge. His eyes were concerned and kind, but she didn't care. She had given everything of herself to retrieve the Sigil, and here was Khadgar, sitting safe and warm while she and her men had paid the price.

She threw the blood-soaked ring on Khadgar's desk.

"Next time you want something, Khadgar," she snarled brokenly, her voice dangerously low, "Get it yourself."

The tall Archmage rose to his feet, his brow furrowing. He opened his mouth to speak, but Auriana was not even remotely in the mood to hear his platitudes.

"Don't follow me," she added, turning on her heel and stalking out of the room.

"Auriana!" Khadgar called after her, but she firmly ignored him.

Auriana practically raced down the stairs and stormed out into the deluge, the cold rainwater mixing with the hot, angry tears that were now pouring down her face. She took the portal to the outskirts of Zangarra, once again ignoring the night watchmen, only to realise that she had nowhere to go.

She couldn't return to Lunarfall, certainly, her wretched heart unable to bear the stares and whispers of her men. She had no desire to talk to Khadgar after just having torn her way from his study, and she didn't want his comfort or his sympathy. Auriana then abruptly realised that there was only one person she could think of who could possibly understand her anger and shame, if she were bold enough to seek him. Varian Wrynn was one of the few people in the world who knew the truth of her, and who could listen to her turmoil without judgement or pity. Speaking to him on this was a risk, certainly, but Auriana found that for the first time since she'd met the King, her need outweighed her fear. Closing her eyes, she took a deep breath, and opened a portal to Stormwind.


	12. Varian

Varian was alone in his bedroom, dreaming deeply, when a movement in the real world shivered along the edges of his awareness. He came back to consciousness slowly, the newly-woken part of his mind idly wondering why he'd been torn so abruptly from his dreams. Blinking rapidly, Varian's sleepiness rapidly changed to alarm as he realised that he was not alone in his chambers. Moving quickly but silently, he carefully withdrew one of the knives that he kept hidden beneath his mattress. His adrenaline surged, and as soon as he heard the slightest breath from the intruder, he hurled the knife at the sound.

To his surprise, he heard a high pitched squeal, before there came the duII thunk of his knife hitting the wall. He glared into the darkness. Assassins usually didn't yelp quite like that, and he was thoroughly confused.

"Varian!" the intruder protested in hushed tones.

"Auriana?" he said groggily, recognising the distinctive timbre of her voice. "What... how did you get in here?"

"Teleport," she said quietly. "You had me make an exception in the wards, remember?"

The room was practically pitch black, but Varian had excellent night vision, and he could now make out Auriana's slender outline.

"What… I… are you real?" he asked, thoroughly confused. "Or am I dreaming again?"

"I'm real, this isn't a dream," she assured him.

Her voice was strangely muffled and broken, and Varian could now distinctly scent blood upon her skin as his senses sharpened. He then remembered that she must have been fighting in Highmaul, and he wondered why she had come here so directly after the battle. He heard her shuffle slightly, and her tone was suspicious as she spoke once more.

"Wait… what do you mean,  _again_?" she asked.

"Nothing," Varian said quickly, feeling his ears grow hot with embarrassment. "Why… why are you here?"

Auriana didn't reply, and Varian could feel the air thicken with tension. Finally, she sighed, and with a flick of her wrist, she lit the wall sconces behind her head. Varian sat bolt upright in alarm as his eyes adjusted to the new light. Auriana looked awful. The lower half of her face was entirely covered in blood, and her hands were a raw, grisly mess. Her eyes were swollen and bloodshot, and Varian realised she'd been crying.

"Light, Auriana, what happened?" he asked, unable to keep the fear from his voice.

"I did something very bad," she whispered, her voice strained and tremulous.

Varian blinked in stunned silence, trying to figure out what she could mean. He knew Auriana well enough to know that she didn't have a dishonourable bone in her body, and he couldn't imagine what she could have possibly done that was so awful.

"I'm sorry, I shouldn't be here, this is wildly inappropriate… I…" she babbled, looking everywhere but at his face.

She trailed off and ducked her head.

"Please don't ask me to leave," she whispered wretchedly.

Varian stared up at her with great concern, leaning forwards intently.

"Why would I ask you to leave?" he asked softly, genuinely confused.

He knew things had been rather tense between them of late, but he sincerely cared for her, and he'd never dream of turning her away in a time of need. Quietly, he was more than pleased that she had come to  _him_ , of all people, and he resolved to give her whatever aid or comfort that he could.

Auriana shrugged, her eyes welling up with fresh tears, and she buried her face in her hands.

"Let's get you cleaned up, and you can tell me what happened," Varian suggested, his voice low and steady in an attempt to calm her down.

Now fully awake, Varian moved to swing his legs off the bed and stand up, only to become acutely aware of the fact that he was naked under his silk sheets.

"Er… Auriana... I'm not wearing anything," he said awkwardly.

"Oh!" she exclaimed, and he caught the faintest hint of a crimson blush in her cheeks before she hurriedly turned away.

Varian was perfectly comfortable with his naked body, scars and all, but he didn't think it appropriate to reveal himself in front of the young mage-commander, certainly not in the state she was currently in. He dragged himself out of bed, wrapped one of the sheets around his waist, and made his way through to the doorway of his second chamber to his wardrobe. Varian quickly changed into a pair of loose linen pants, leaving his chest bare, and stalked back into his bedchamber.

"You can look around, I'm decent," he told her.

She complied slowly, her watery eyes still raw. She looked very young and very vulnerable, and Varian wanted nothing more than to gather her up in his arms and shield her against the world. Instead, he held out a tentative hand and invited her forwards.

"C'mere," he murmured.

She hesitated, her darkened eyes stormy with emotion, but she nevertheless extended her arm and stepped forwards. She slipped her small, pale hand into his own, and Varian carefully lead her into his bath chamber. Auriana lit two of the torches that lined the room, as Varian helped her remove her heavy battle robes and shoulder plates. Only once she was clad in her more comfortable leggings and undershirt did Varian sit her down on a stool and busy himself with pouring a basin of warm water. He placed the bowl on a second stool beside her, before taking a seat of his own. He leant forwards, his knees bumping against hers as he gently slipped two long fingers beneath her chin.

"Look up," he instructed.

He raised a soft cloth in his other hand, and began to carefully clean the blood from her face. She didn't say a word as he worked, her expression unreadable. Varian had big hands, and they weren't well suited for the nature of such a delicate task, but he tried to be as gentle as possible. Auriana didn't protest, but nor did she look at him, her gaze firmly fixed on the wall behind his head.

Once her face was clean, Varian went to work on her tortured hands. Much of the skin on her fingers and palms had been grazed off, and she flinched as Varian lightly wiped them down. There was grit imbedded in some of the deeper cuts, and Varian wished he was a healer so that he could offer her more than a warm cloth.

"There," he said finally. "You're all clean, but you should really see a healer. I could call up one of my personal healers, or Anduin, if you liked. I know it's late, but I'm certain he wouldn't mind..."

"No!" she said forcefully, finally turning her head to meet his eyes. "I can't… I don't want to see anyone..."

With an anguished, choking sob, she tumbled forwards to bury her face in his chest. Varian stiffened in shock, slowly reaching around to pull her into his embrace. He held her tightly as she wept, bewildered and terribly afraid for her. Auriana was normally such a controlled person, and to see her in such a state aroused every protective instinct in Varian's body. Certainly, he had never seen her quite so undone, and he wasn't entirely sure what to do. He settled for awkwardly stroking her wet hair with one hand, while the other rubbed soothing circles on her back. For a long time, he simply let her cry, her small hands clinging desperately to the bare skin of his chest.

"What happened?" he asked finally, when her wracking sobs had subsided and she'd managed to regain some of her breath. "You don't have to tell me, if you don't want, I just thought…"

"I didn't have a choice. If I hadn't done something, they all would have died," she mumbled, and Varian's chest constricted as a suspicion formed in his mind.

She stayed in his arms as she began to tell her story, her dark head resting against his chest as she spoke in strained, hushed tones. Varian tensed as she explained how the sorcerer king Mar'gok had gained the upper hand and begun to slaughter her men. He winced as Auriana described the death of her friend Kinzie, knowing what it would mean for her to have lost one of her few close friends. His heart twisted as she came to the end of the tale, explaining how she'd willingly embraced the rage within her, how she'd done a violent and terrible thing to save the lives of her men. Varian was no stranger to shame and regret, and he knew what it was like to touch the darkness in his soul, but he couldn't imagine anything like what Auriana described. She talked until she was hoarse, describing her torment in every excruciating detail. Varian just listened, holding her close until she simply ran out of words.

"Will the other mages be alright?" he asked carefully, brushing a wet tendril of hair back behind her ear.

"I… I think so," she said quietly. "But that's not really the point. What I did... it was a violation, Varian. It was just  _wrong_ , and I'm not sure there is anything I could ever do to make up for it."

Varian didn't have anything to say to that. He was not in the least bit magically gifted, and he couldn't imagine what it would be like to have power torn from his veins in such a fashion. He coughed awkwardly, trying to think of another way to direct the conversation, when another thought occurred to him.

"How were you able to stop?" he wondered out loud.

From what Auriana had described, she could have torn apart half of Nagrand with the kind of power she'd been channelling. He knew that the last time she'd gone berserk, she'd been fighting Deathwing, and she'd been forcibly knocked out by a close friend who had sensed the danger she was in. From what Varian now understood, however, this time she'd been alone, her men having fled for their lives.

"I thought of you," she said simply, finally meeting his eyes. "I heard your voice, Varian. I came back for you."

Her voice was heavy, but a slight spark had returned to her cobalt eyes. She reached up a trembling hand, and tentatively cupped his cheek. Her hand was impossibly cool and surprisingly soft, despite her wounds. Varian caught her hand with his own, and leaned longingly into her palm. Auriana gave a long, low sigh. She slid her hand into his hair, and leaned forwards to press her forehead against his as she closed her eyes. Varian was shocked by her sudden closeness, but he didn't dare move, lest he frighten her away. He allowed himself to relax, leaning his temples against hers as he breathed her in.

"Why are you being so kind to me?" she murmured, after a long silence.

"Why wouldn't I be kind?" Varian asked, confused.

"You know what I did. What I am," she said wretchedly. "You should have… yelled at me… or thrown me out… or… something…"

"I also know what it's like to feel rage, and to be driven to do terrible things. I don't condone what you did, but I don't blame you for it, either. And I certainly don't think any less of you," he said seriously. "You're a good person, Auri, don't ever forget that."

Auriana pulled back slightly, her hand still cupping his cheek, and looked at Varian as if seeing him for the first time. Her expression softened, and he could see a thousand different emotions flash behind her eyes as she gently stroked the side of his face.

Varian's heart all but stopped a second later as she reached up with trembling hands and firmly pulled his mouth down to meet hers. She tasted just as sweet as he remembered, and for a moment he simply lost himself in the joy of kissing her. He leaned forwards and practically pulled her into his lap, his hands raking up her back as he embraced her fiercely.

He wrestled with himself furiously as he kissed her. The part of him that was still Lo'Gosh demanded that he simply take her, while the rational part of his mind reminded him that she hadn't wanted this before, and he had no real reason to believe she'd changed her mind.

Somehow, Varian managed to pull himself away from her heated, swollen lips, breathing heavily as he struggled to regain some kind of control over his traitorous body.

"I'm sorry. I'm  _sorry_ ," he stammered. "I… we shouldn't… I should stop.'

"What if I didn't want you to stop?" Auriana asked seriously.

The passion of their kiss had raised a sensual blush in her cheeks, and her blue eyes were inky with desire. Her breasts pressed against the line of her leather shirt as she took several deep, shuddering breaths, and Varian could scarcely remember a time when he'd wanted anyone or anything more. Nevertheless, he was determined to behave with honour, and treat Auriana with the respect she deserved.

"Auri... I couldn't. You're exhausted, you're in shock… I'd be taking advantage..." he protested weakly, hating every word even as he knew he was doing the right thing.

Auriana sat up straighter, a defiant set to her jaw. There was definite uncertainty in her gaze, but it was exceeded by a fierce, fiery passion that made Varian's heart thunder and the hairs on the back of his neck rise.

"I know my own mind, Varian. You wouldn't be taking advantage of me, I promise," she said firmly. "This… this should have happened between us a long time ago."

"Auri, please… we can't," he said lamely. "It's… it's not what you wanted, and I'd never forgive myself if I forced you into something."

"I thought... you wanted me," she said heartbreakingly, recoiling from him as if she'd been slapped.

Varian ran a hand across his eyes and laughed ruefully. If only she understood the fire that she had kindled in his veins, and how severely she was testing the limits of his control.

"Oh, I do," he said, more serious than he'd ever been in his life. "Auriana, I'm barely holding it together, here. But if we do this... I need to know it's not out of fear or sadness. I don't want you to regret anything. I don't want you to regret… me."

"Varian…" she said, as if shocked he'd ever consider such a thing. "I'd never regret you. No matter what happens between us tonight, I'll never regret you."

"Say it," he commanded, his heart pounding like thunder in his ears.

"Varian... I want you," she said ardently, her gaze surprisingly strong and steady. " _Please_. _"_

Her final whispered word shattered what was left of Varian's crumbling resolve, and he practically tackled her off her stool in his haste to embrace her. His impassioned charge carried her six feet across the room, and together they crashed roughly into the Keep wall. Varian held her fast, devouring her lips even as his hands flew over every inch of her slender body. To his great pleasure, Auriana responded in kind, burying her fingers in his long hair as she sighed longingly against his mouth.

He caught a hand in the laces of her tunic, only to simply rip it from her chest a moment later in frustration. The heat of her was unimaginable, and Varian simply didn't have  _time_  to figure out something as inane as laces. Auriana started in surprise as her underclothes were exposed so forcibly, and Varian hesitated. Nevertheless, a slow smile spread across her face, and she bit her reddened lower lip invitingly.

"Bedroom," he growled hotly. "Now."

Without waiting for an answer, Varian swept her up in his arms and carried her into his chambers. He laid her none too gently onto the massive bed, and her small form was practically swallowed up by his assortment of sheets, pelts, and pillows. Her hair splayed out around her pale face like a dark halo, and her eyes were almost black with desire. As he stared down at her, his chest heaving, Varian realised that he had scarcely seen anything more beautiful in his life.

Unwilling to be separated from her a second longer, Varian practically crashed down into the bed. Auriana's eyes widened as she felt the clear evidence of his arousal against her upper thigh, and he saw a distinct thrill roll through her body as she lifted her hips slightly and pressed herself against him. Varian growled in sweet torment as he tangled a hand in her hair and captured her lips in a fevered kiss, while he lowered the other hand to gently stroke the exposed skin of her belly. To his immense delight, Auriana shivered and writhed beneath him and softly gasped his name.

Varian wondered if Auriana had any idea what she was doing to him. His senses were nearly overwhelmed as he took all of her in, from the sight of her heaving ivory breasts to the exquisite burn of her bare skin against his own. He could smell the hot, wet scent of lust all over her, and what remained of his control wavered wildly. Part of him wanted to take her slowly, to tease and torment her until she begged for him, but the other half simply wanted her  _now_.

His fevered urgency eventually won out, and he rose to his feet in order to quickly strip away what remained of Auriana's clothes, until she lay naked and exposed beneath him. He saw her tremble slightly, and her hands involuntarily moved to cover the scars that marked her chest and thighs. She didn't have nearly as many as Varian did, but she still had quite a collection. Other men -  _lesser_   _men_ , he thought - might have found her scars unattractive or marring, but Varian saw them for what they really were: hard-earned badges of victory and honour for the Alliance. If anything, it made her even more stunning, like a proud warrior-queen of old.

"Beautiful," he murmured, gently running a finger across the line of her collarbone and down between her breasts. "You never have to hide from me, Auri."

Auriana swallowed nervously, and slowly lifted her arms to link them above her head. Her strong muscles pulled taut as she moved, and Varian was utterly floored by her willingness to appear so vulnerable before him. His control rapidly waning, Varian reached down with shaking hands and quickly removed his thin linen pants until he stood similarly undressed above her. He heard Auriana gasp sharply as she beheld his manhood, her eyes flicking away a second later as a fierce blush spread across her cheeks.

Varian hesitated, not entirely sure what to make of her reaction, only to have his brief uncertainty firmly quelled as she lifted her heated gaze to his and spoke.

"Varian..." Auriana whispered, her use of his name sending shivers up his spine. "Please..."

Varian growled his desire, taking his weight upon his powerful arms as he bore down upon her. He kissed her tenderly, flushing with pleasure as he rested the length of his body against her own. His mind was now entirely clouded by lust, and he no longer had it in him to wait. He shifted his mass, and Auriana stiffened and gasped as he moved to enter her, throwing her head back and balling her hands into fists.

"Are you alright?" Varian asked quietly, barely managing to hold himself back from burying his full length inside her.

"Yes," she sighed firmly, closing her eyes. " _Light_ , Varian…"

Auriana's wanton moan was all the encouragement that he needed, and with a single, powerful thrust, Varian claimed her as his own. He'd desired her for so long, had  _dreamed_  of this exact moment, but nothing that his mind had conjured could have prepared him for the reality of taking her for the first time. She was impossibly warm and wet, and Varian was nearly undone right then and there. He cried out, burying his face in her soft hair as she clung to him desperately.

Auriana bucked her hips upwards, tightening around him as she groaned in pleasure. She arched her back magnificently, her breasts pressing firmly against his chest, and Varian trembled uncontrollably. He slipped a hand under her waist as he began to thrust, desperately trying to pull her closer as he increased his speed. His lust was raw and primal, and it felt like every single inch of his body was on fire as he was entirely consumed by his desire for the beautiful young mage. Somewhat surprisingly, Auriana seemed to have been similarly affected. She matched his passion with surprising abandon, and her each moan and shudder threatened to send Varian crashing over the edge.

In the end, it was the sound of his name that did it. Despite his intention to prolong their lovemaking for as long as possible, Varian had wanted Auriana too long and too fiercely to have any real defense against her soft sighs and heated core. The fire burning within his loins had reached fever pitch, and the moment his name tore from her lips he was utterly shattered, his mind going blissfully blank as the sound of her last cry echoed in his ears.


	13. Varian

When Varian awoke the next day, he found that Auriana had disappeared without a trace. If he couldn't smell the lingering scent of her skin on his sheets, he might have been convinced that their night together had been nothing more than a feverish dream. After the desperate passion of their first coupling, Varian had made love to Auriana a second time. He'd been slower and gentler, relishing in his tender exploration of her body and his newfound ability to make her quiver and sigh. They'd stayed up for most of the night, and the soft rays of early dawn were streaming into his chambers by the time Varian finally collapsed and fell into a deep, satisfying sleep.

Varian wasn't really all that surprised by Auriana's vanishing act, but he was sorely disappointed nonetheless. She had a tendency to run away when she was overwhelmed or uncertain, and he supposed that last night could have been considered somewhat overwhelming. Varian himself could scarcely believe the strength of his need for her, nor how willingly she'd come into his arms. He had known that he cared for her, but had sorely underestimated the depths of his emotions until last night. He hoped fervently that she had left because she simply needed time to process her feelings, and not because she regretted giving herself to Varian as she had.

Unfortunately, the latter reasoning seemed to be the more likely. Varian had sent Auriana a short note as soon as he had awoken and dressed, but she had failed to reply. He tried again the next day, and the next, but it seemed Auriana was completely unwilling to speak to him, much to Varian's frustration. He was not a patient man by nature, and he only managed to wait for three days before he gave up and simply ordered her to conduct a formal debriefing of the events in Highmaul. It was perhaps an inelegant solution, but Varian was driven by both a fierce need for her presence and a lack of any better options.

Out of courtesy, Varian once again invited the available members of the House of Nobles to the war meeting, but only a handful had made their way to the war room. Naturally, one of the nobles in attendance was Auriana's old adversary, Rohas Anguile, his patrician features sharp and superior as he awaited the briefing. The other nobles were largely unconcerned with the campaign in Draenor, so long as the Alliance continued on their march towards victory. Many of them now saw Draenor as a resource to be exploited for their own personal gain, rather than the last line of defense between the Iron Horde and Azeroth.

Anduin had also elected to attend, much to Varian's surprise. Varian would have preferred if his son's interest had more to do with the business of running a war on an alien world, and less to do with Anduin's continued interest in Varian's personal life, but he was pleased at the prince's presence nonetheless. They'd walked downstairs together, chatting animatedly as they made their way to the war room.

Auriana herself was the last to arrive, and Varian's heart stopped in his chest as he saw her. She'd left her hair long, which she rarely did, and she wore a dark blue dress that set off her eyes. Varian became incredibly aware of her physical presence, from the soft floral scent of her hair to the pale, silvery radiance of her skin. He thought she looked beautiful, and for a moment all he could think about was the memory of her moving beneath him.

For her part, Auriana looked almost entirely unaffected, save for a smouldering fire burning deep behind her eyes. She paused as she strode past Varian into the room, and he heard her give an almost imperceptible intake of breath. Up close, Varian was concerned to see dark circles under her eyes, and he wondered if she'd been sleeping. He didn't realise how much he was staring, however, until Anduin gave him a sharp, surreptitious elbow in the ribs and coughed quietly.

"Er… thank you for coming, Commander," Varian said quickly, falling back on formality. "I'm sure we're all eager to hear your report."

"Thank you for the invitation, Your Majesty," Auriana replied smoothly, her gaze fixed straight ahead. "As I'm sure you are all aware, Lunarfall Garrison recently captured the ogre capital of Highmaul, and defeated the Imperator Mar'gok."

Varian heard her voice catch as she said Mar'gok's name, but he doubted that anyone else would have noticed, save for perhaps Anduin. Auriana's hands tightened into loose fists, but when she continued to speak, her voice was strong and steady.

"I lead a strike force of two hundred men into the inner citadel, along with a contingent from… from the Kirin Tor. While we were initially successful in overcoming Mar'gok's lieutenants, the Imperator himself proved a far greater challenge," she explained. "While we were able to eventually overcome him and capture the city, it was not without cost. In the end, we…  _I_  lost one hundred and twelve men. The cost was regrettable… but we have gained much. With Highmaul in our control, we now confidently hold the southern half of Draenor, and have an effective power base from which to assault Blackrock Foundry and Tanaan Jungle. We also have the means to effectively hunt the warlock Gul'Dan."

"How were you able to overcome such a master of magic? From what I understand, an ogre sorcerer king is not someone to be trifled with," Anguile observed shrewdly.

Auriana stiffened, and lifted her chin defiantly. Her eyes narrowed, and she took a moment to compose her reply.

"My powers are not as insignificant as you might think," she said finally, equivocating. "Mar'gok underestimated my abilities, to his detriment."

There was the barest hint of a threat in her tone, and the air in the room cooled ever so slightly. With a grunt, Anguile wisely decided not to push the issue, but he exchanged a significant look with a couple of the other noblemen.

"I'd like to know the answer to that question, too, Auriana," came a clear, crisp voice from the doorway.

Varian looked around and was surprised to see the Archmage Jaina Proudmoore enter the room. She looked as majestic as usual in her white and purple robes, and her pale blue eyes were clear and strong.

"Jaina!" Varian greeted her warmly. "What a lovely surprise. Are you here to visit Anduin?"

"No," Jaina said coldly, turning her gaze to Auriana.

"She's here for me," Auriana said quietly.

Varian looked between the two mages in surprise. Jaina's beautiful face was thunder, while Auriana looked serious yet largely unsurprised. Tension crackled between them like lightning, and Varian was strongly reminded of the fact that each woman was incredibly powerful. Anguile sat forward in his chair, his gaze flicking to Jaina in sudden interest.

"How were you able to take Highmaul, Auriana?" Jaina repeated, folding her arms over her chest.

"Given that you're here, I'm assuming that you already know," Auriana said drily.

"I'd like to hear it from you," Jaina said, her tone brooking no argument.

Auriana sighed, and briefly met Varian's gaze. Varian gave her a small, encouraging nod. There was no point in avoiding the truth, and he knew Auriana was not one to shirk her responsibilities, nor the consequences of her actions. It was difficult, but Varian forced himself to remain an observer, and he tried to resist the temptation to intervene on Auriana's behalf.

"As I'm sure you're now aware, I inherited berserker blood from my mother's side. As you are also aware, Archmage, such bloodlust does not react well with the inherently tempting and addictive nature of magic."

Auriana sighed, and pushed her shaking hands into her pockets. When she spoke, her voice was stiff and pained.

"We were losing. Badly. Several… several of my men, and a number of the Kirin Tor had already perished, and it became very apparent that we were all going to die. While a true berserker rage is dangerous, it is an undeniably powerful weapon. I usually keep it well in hand, but at that point I had no other choice but let loose. I was still linked to the Kirin Tor at the time, and I… I used their magic to bolster my own. I killed Mar'gok in a duel, and managed to control myself long enough for the rest of my men to escape to safety."

"Why would they need to escape from you?" Anguile asked dangerously.

"Because I would have killed them, otherwise," Auriana said flatly, her eyes downcast. "In a rage, it's hard to know friend from foe."

Anduin gasped at the revelation, Anguile scoffed, and Jaina looked extremely unimpressed. The other nobles looked similarly shocked, and several of them shifted nervously. Auriana's face was stone, and her shoulders set defensively.

"This is an outrage!" Anguile shouted. "Are you going to stand for this, Varian? A woman who would as soon kill her men as save them?"

Auriana flushed with rage and shame.

"I had no choice!" she shot back. "If I hadn't done what I did, we wouldn't be having this conversation, and the best of Lunarfall would be lying dead on Mar'gok's floor!"

"Be that as it may, Auriana, you could have killed them all," Jaina said implacably. "Not to mention what you did to  _my_ mages. You took an incredible risk. What do you think would have happened if you had been unable to maintain that small semblance of control? Did you ever think to warn someone of your… condition?"

"I knew," Varian said quickly.

"You  _knew_ , Varian?" Jaina demanded.

"I've known for some time," Varian confirmed. "It doesn't change my estimation of the Commander, nor my trust in her ability to lead the campaign in Draenor."

He knew he wasn't being entirely honest, implying as he was that Auriana had spoken to him as her commanding officer when she had in fact confided in him as a friend, but he felt that Auriana needed some kind of defense.

"My bodyguard knew as well," Auriana added quietly. "I gave him instructions to incapacitate me or even kill me if it became necessary."

Jaina snorted in disbelief. It was a surprisingly unladylike gesture from the normally refined Archmage.

"I know how powerful you are, Auriana. Do you honestly expect me to believe that a single person would be capable of challenging you at that moment? I've never heard of such reckless use of magic."

"I don't think that's entirely fair, Aunt Jaina," Anduin spoke up, ever the mediator.

Jaina, Anduin, Anguile and the noblemen were soon swept up in a fierce argument. Anguile was practically calling for Auriana's head, while Anduin pleaded for clemency and understanding. Jaina was caught somewhere in the middle, furious with Auriana but not quite so willing to convict her as Anguile seemed to be. Auriana remained curiously silent, but Varian could see the tension in her shoulders and the predatory darkening of her eyes. He could tell that she was angry, and hurting, but she hid firmly behind the mask of an obedient soldier. The argument rapidly devolved, and Varian had no other choice but to intervene.

"Enough! All of you!" Varian roared, and the entire room fell silent.

Jaina looked unperturbed by his outburst, regarding him with clever eyes. Anduin looked nervously between Auriana and Jaina, the two frost mages as starkly different as night and day. Auriana looked at no-one, her jaw set and her cheekbones stark as she stared at the wall. Anguile was clearly seething, but he would never dare challenge Varian so directly, and nor would the other nobles.

"I appreciate your concerns," Varian continued, more calmly. "However, we aren't always at our best in exceptional circumstances, as I'm sure many of you can appreciate. I believe that the Commander's action, risky as it was, was the lesser of two evils. I'll make it clear, however, that I would be displeased if you were to exercise such an option again, Auriana."

"Don't underestimate the seriousness of this matter, Varian," Jaina insisted vehemently. "She is  _dangerous_."

"As dangerous as you were when you attempted to raze Orgrimmar?" Varian challenged her. "I could have censured you for that, Jaina, but I chose not to. Because I trust you, as I trust  _her_. The fact remains that we have control of Highmaul, with less casualties than we would have had otherwise. I must balance the Commander's actions against the outcome, and I don't believe that any sort of punishment is necessary."

Jaina's eyes widened in surprise that Varian would so easily use the incident in Orgrimmar against her, but Varian could see that she had taken his point.

"Jaina?" he prompted.

"Lansing recommended against punishment, too," she said finally. "And I suppose, on balance, I am inclined to agree. But know this, Auriana, I'll be watching you. If you should become a threat to the Kirin Tor, or to the Alliance, I  _will_ put you down."

"And I would thank you for it, Jaina," Auriana said evenly. "For whatever its worth, my only desire is to ensure the continued safety and prosperity of the Alliance."

Jaina harrumphed in reply, but the anger left her eyes, and some of the tension in the room dissipated. Anguile still looked thoroughly displeased, but Varian was of no mind to take the duplicitous noble's opinion seriously.

"In lieu of punishment, I would  _strongly_  suggest that you make yourself available to Dalaran sometime in the near future for some more advanced magical training," Jaina continued. "I've ignored you for far too long, Auriana, given your abilities, and it's about time I taught you how to master your potential."

"Of course, Archmage," Auriana said swiftly, but she didn't look pleased.

"I'm glad we're all in agreement, then," Varian said firmly, looking pointedly between the two powerful women.

Jaina's face then softened, and her eyes grew concerned. She was at heart a compassionate person, and Varian knew her anger at Auriana had been driven more by care than by real fury.

"Why did you never tell me about this, Auriana?" the Archmage asked, brow furrowing. "I trained you, I knew your parents. Surely you could trust me. I could have  _helped_ you."

"I was… I was ashamed," Auriana murmured.

"As well you should be, Commander," Anguile put in, unable to resist the urge to torment Auriana further.

Varian shot him a withering look, and the noble cowered ever so slightly. Jaina frowned her displeasure at Anguile's comment, and Anduin's mouth drew into a thin line.

"I think we're done here," Varian growled. "Anduin, my Lords, please leave. Jaina, I'd have a word with you alone. Auriana, I'd like to speak to you as well. I'll talk to Jaina first. You can wait in the corridor until I call for you."

No one dared argue with Varian when he used that tone of voice, and everyone practically jumped to heed his instructions. Only Auriana moved slowly, pausing by Varian as she made her way towards the door.

"Varian," Auriana said quietly. "You don't need to defend me. What I did  _was_  wrong. I did it out of necessity, but that doesn't change what happened."

"I'll defend you if I see fit, Auriana," Varian muttered sharply.

She lifted her chin slightly and finally looked him dead in the eyes. Her gaze was intense and contemplative, but she departed without further comment, leaving Varian and Jaina alone in the war room.


	14. Varian

Once they were alone, Varian turned his serious gaze upon Jaina. She met his stare evenly, her hands firmly upon her hips and her chin lifted slightly. Jaina was one of the few people that Varian was unable to easily intimidate. Most of the time he appreciated the fact, but sometimes it was decidedly inconvenient.

"I didn't want to strongarm you there, Jaina," Varian apologised, "But I would prefer if you could avoid calling out one of my high-ranking officers in front of half the House of Nobles. Confidence in our soldiers is important for the war effort. I don't know how many rumours you've now started after taking Auriana to task in public like that."

"I'll admit, I didn't think of that," Jaina said contritely. "I thought it best to impress upon you the seriousness of the situation."

"I understand, Jaina, really I do. And I was saddened to hear about what happened to your mages. I trust that they'll make a full recovery?"

"They are expected to do so," Jaina confirmed, relief evident in her voice. "Physically, at least. I think it will take some more time to get over the shock."

She shook her head, and ran her fingers along the edge of Varian's war table.

"She's damned powerful," Jaina mused. "Auriana, I mean. To take on Mar'gok, while absorbing and shaping that much power from the Kirin Tor mages… well, it's exceptional to say the least. I can't imagine what she'd be capable of with an artifact like the Focusing Iris."

"There's no doubt in my mind that she's loyal to the Alliance, Jaina," Varian said warningly.

"I know," Jaina said lightly. "I was merely commenting on the scope of her abilities. I really should have paid her more mind before now, but it's been such a long time since she's been in Dalaran. I wish she'd stayed longer and completed more of her advanced training, but she was so determined to fight for the Alliance. I would've liked to know about her family history, too."

"I don't think she's particularly proud of it," Varian pointed out. "Nor do I believe she was particularly close to her mother's side of the family."

"You know of her parents?"Jaina asked, her blue eyes a little too curious.

"We're… well, she and I are friends. I know she grew up in Theramore," Varian explained, carefully avoiding having to describe the full extent of his relationship with Auriana. "She's told me something of her parents, though admittedly not much."

"Her father was one of the bravest men I ever knew," said Jaina wistfully. "As well as one of the wittiest. Her mother was an unfailingly kind woman. They deserved better than what they got."

Varian squeezed her arm comfortingly and smiled sadly. Jaina shook her head, her grief for Theramore still evident in her haunted eyes. She looked away, and Varian allowed her space to gather her thoughts.

"I just don't understand how she's gone this long without any other incident," Jaina said eventually, frustration evident in her voice.

"She's a very controlled woman," Varian pointed out. "And she's well aware of the risk."

"Be that as it may, the Kirin Tor could have provided her with help! She isn't the first mage in history to struggle with control or addiction to magic, we  _do_  know a few tricks," Jaina retorted. "Though I suppose she's always been stubborn."

Varian snorted his agreement. There were few people he knew more stubborn than the young Commander, and he suspected that her natural recalcitrance contributed significantly to her ability to maintain control.

"I forgot," he said, "You knew her as a child. What was she like?"

Auriana had always remained tight-lipped about her childhood in their conversations, and Varian was curious to get Jaina's opinion.

"I first came across when she was about twelve, and I sent her off to Dalaran as soon as I was able. I've rarely seen such raw potential in an initiate," Jaina said, frowning thoughtfully. "She was a bright child, and a fast learner, as long as the topic caught her interest. She kept to herself, mostly, from what I've heard, but she was not disliked among the other apprentices. She had a reputation as a particularly skilled and aggressive duelist, which was quite at odds with her normally shy persona."

Varian tried to picture Auriana as an adolescent as Jaina spoke, imagining her unearthly blue eyes and high cheekbones before they'd taken on the sharp seriousness and maturity of adulthood.

"I just hope she can learn to keep her powers in check while reaching her potential," Jaina continued. "She'd make a superb Archmage, if she had the mind for it, and I'd hate to lose her."

"As would I," Varian agreed, only to realise a second later that his words held more than one meaning.

Jaina's pale eyes narrowed shrewdly, and her silvery head cocked to the side.

"You were quite defensive of the Commander earlier," she observed slowly. "Light, Varian, what's she got over you?"

Jaina scoffed and laughed lightly.

"You aren't bedding her, are you?" she teased, her nose crinkling mischievously.

Varian didn't reply, but his sudden, awkward silence said more than outright agreement or denial ever could have. He tried to keep his face neutral, but he realised much too late that Jaina was too perceptive to be so fooled.

" _Oh_!" Jaina exclaimed, blushing lightly as her joking suspicion was proven correct. "Well… I… well, good for you, Varian."

"I… what?" he asked, thoroughly surprised by her reaction.

"How long has it been since you've had someone in your life? Quite frankly, it's about damn time," Jaina said firmly. "You've been alone for far too long."

"Jaina… I…" Varian started, unsure of what he could possibly say. "Honestly, I didn't think you'd approve."

"How long have we been friends, Varian?" Jaina asked pointedly. "I believe that you deserve happiness in your life, especially after all you've been through."

Varian stared at his hands in silence, touched by Jaina's heartfelt support. The two of them had butted heads on more than one occasion, but he appreciated her steady friendship more than he'd ever managed to express.

"Does Anduin know?" Jaina asked, raising a delicate eyebrow.

"No. Ah… our relationship has been something of a…  _recent_  development," Varian explained. "That, and I'm not typically in the habit of discussing my romantic pursuits with my _son_."

Jaina laughed genuinely, but her beautiful face quickly turned serious.

"Just… be careful, Varian. Don't let your feelings blind you to the reality of what she has the potential to become," she said warningly. "She's a good woman, and she has a good heart, but she  _is_  incredibly dangerous. Not to mention that she's a commander in your army. I don't think I need to explain to you the potential consequences of such a dalliance."

"I know what I'm doing, Jaina," Varian said sternly, but he respected her opinion nonetheless.

She stared at him thoughtfully, as if staring into his very soul. Finally, she gave a short nod, and made to move for the door.

"Er, Jaina…" Varian started, unsure of how to approach his next request.

"Don't worry, Varian, I'm very good at keeping secrets," Jaina said perceptively, accurately anticipating his concern. "No-one will hear a word from me, so long as you wish to keep the relationship private."

"Thank you, Jaina," Varian said sincerely, favouring her with a slight smile.

"It isn't my secret to tell," she said, shrugging lightly, as if it were only that simple.

"Indeed," Varian agreed. "Do you mind sending Auriana in on your way out? She and I also need to exchange words."

"As you wish, Varian," the Archmage said, smirking ever so slightly as she made her way from the room.


	15. Auriana

Auriana waited none too patiently in the corridor outside Varian's war room, wondering what the King intended to discuss. Several times, she very seriously considered teleporting right back to Draenor, only to inevitably curse her own cowardice. She couldn't avoid Varian forever, and nor did she want to, but she couldn't deny that she was rather nervous. Auriana knew it was very likely that Varian would want to discuss the night they had spent together, and she wasn't sure that she was quite ready to have  _that_  conversation. Her relationship with Varian had become impossibly complicated, and she'd barely been able to get her head around the fallout from that single, breathless night.

She fiddled distractedly with her hair as she waited for the King to finish his discussion with Jaina, and her heart leapt awkwardly as the door to the war room opened. It was Jaina herself who finally emerged, her elegant white and purple robes swirling gracefully around her ankles as she paused to fix her cool blue eyes upon Auriana.

"Varian would see you now," Jaina said lightly.

"Thank you," Auriana replied, nervously smoothing the front of her dress.

She studied Jaina's face carefully, but the Archmage's expression gave nothing away.

"I'll see you in Dalaran soon," Jaina added, by way of goodbye.

It was a statement, not a question, and Auriana knew there would be hell to pay if she ignored the Archmage's request. Auriana nodded her reluctant assent, and walked apprehensively back into the war room.

Varian looked up abruptly as she entered, and Auriana found she suddenly had a great deal of difficulty meeting his eyes. Not that focusing anywhere else was much better, as far as she was concerned. If she looked at his hands, all she could think about was the feel of his surprisingly gentle fingers on her skin, and if she looked at his chest, all she could think of was the overwhelming heat of his embrace. She trembled involuntarily, and tried to focus her mind on literally anything else.

The King, it seemed, was at a similar loss for words. His strong jaw tightened, and she saw his hands clench into loose fists. They both stood stock still in a cloying silence that grew rapidly more uncomfortable as time wore on.

"It's good to see you, Auriana. Er... sorry about all that. I honestly didn't know that Jaina would be here," Varian said finally. "I certainly didn't intend for this meeting to turn into quite such a witch hunt."

Auriana was unable to stop herself from wincing at the word 'witch', though she hoped Varian hadn't seen.

"It's fine. As I said, it was deserved," she said stiffly.

"Still... I'm sorry," he said sincerely. "That can't have been a pleasant experience."

"I'm sure I'll survive," Auriana said drily, playing with a loose thread in her sleeve.

She knew she wasn't giving Varian much to work with, but she wasn't really in the mood for small talk. The King was now staring at her intently, frowning deeply in concern. He was alarmingly perceptive for a man who seemed so outwardly hardened. Auriana sighed, and gave Varian a soft smile. She wasn't angry with him in the slightest, just confused and weary, and Varian certainly didn't deserve her bad temper.

"Are you…ah… how are you?" he tried, once again breaking the silence.

"I'm tired," she confessed, running a hand across her eyes.

"You left very early the other morning," Varian commented edgily, cracking his knuckles against the palm of his left hand.

"Yes, I did," Auriana said slowly.

"I was… I was worried, actually. I thought… there might be something wrong," Varian explained, and she was surprised to hear genuine uncertainty in his voice.

"No," she said earnestly, finally looking him in the eye. "It was just very late. With the time difference between here and Draenor, I was barely home in time to attend to my duties the next day."

It sounded like a feeble excuse to her ears, and she could see that Varian was not entirely convinced.

"I see," he said doubtfully, his voice clipped.

As he spoke, he moved slowly around the war table so that it was no longer a protective barrier between them. Auriana distinctly felt as if she were being hunted by a great predator, a fierce heat uncoiling in her stomach at the thought.

"It wasn't… because of me, was it? Because… because of what happened between us?" he asked worriedly. "I didn't hurt you, did I?"

"No!" she protested vehemently, meeting his gaze steadily. "Varian… no. You didn't hurt me."

Auriana's ears were suddenly hot and she felt as if she were sixteen again, but she wanted to impress on Varian that it wasn't any action of his that had caused her to flee.

"That's… good. Also... I meant to ask… ah... are you…? I mean, is there any chance that you might be… uh…." Varian continued fumblingly, looking down at his feet in sudden awkwardness.

Auriana blinked in confusion, only to blush furiously a second later as she caught his meaning.

"Oh!" she said, flustered. "Er, no. I take an herbal, standard practice for female Alliance field personnel. You've no need to worry about… about that…"

"Good, that's good," Varian said.

He abruptly lifted his gaze once more, and took two hasty steps forwards. Auriana felt her pulse quicken at his sudden closeness, and she subconsciously moved backwards.

"Why have you been avoiding me?" he growled, staring down at her with a powerful intensity.

"I haven't been avoiding you," Auriana protested lamely.

"Please don't pretend. I had to order you here, remember? Would you have come back to me otherwise?"

"I… I don't know…" she said honestly.

"Then I'll ask again, Auriana… did I do something wrong?" Varian asked, his voice cracking slightly. "It's been a long time since… well, since I've been with a woman. I would hate to believe that I'd caused you any harm."

Auriana didn't quite know what to say. Varian had been so tender and so careful that the thought of him causing her harm was an entirely foreign concept. She knew he would be shattered if he believed that she had been unwilling, though nothing could be further than the truth. While Auriana had been surprised by her own forwardness with Varian, she hadn't regretted her decision in the slightest. Auriana was so used to being in control of her emotions at all times that her feelings for Varian had entirely crept up on her. Spending the night with him had been nothing short of wonderful, and she'd been startled and deeply affected by the depth of her regard for the King of Stormwind. In truth, she  _had_  been running from him, unsure how to reconcile their night together with her previous principled stance against a romantic relationship. There was no use now in pretending that she was indifferent to him, but Auriana still wasn't sure if she were willing to enter into an ongoing relationship, not least after everything that had happened in Highmaul.

"Varian, that night… it was more than I could have ever imagined," she said, her voice low and sincere. "I need you to know that."

Despite her general uncertainly, Auriana didn't want to leave any doubt in Varian's mind about the importance of their time together. She reached out and gently touched his hand to emphasise her point, and Varian breathed in sharply. He gave her a swift, heated look, and seemed to be wrestling mightily with his own thoughts. Finally, he growled and pulled her forwards, sliding a hand into her hair while the other found her waist. Varian kissed her with such passionate abandon that he quite literally lifted her off the ground, and a very loud part of Auriana's mind cried out for him to simply throw her down on the war table and take her right then and there. Instead, she compelled herself to regain control over her turbulent emotions, and forced her feet back on to the ground.

"Varian… Varian, wait..." she panted, placing a shaking hand on his chest. "I'm not sure this is the best idea. I need some time to think about all… all  _this_."

"I don't understand," Varian said, genuine confusion darkening his brow. "Auriana..."

"I can't do this right now," she said quickly. "So much has happened in the last few days, since Highmaul, and..."

"What does Highmaul have to do with this? With us?" Varian demanded, a note of frustration entering his voice.

"Because it's too much," she said softly. "Right now… I'm a mess, Varian."

Auriana stepped away from him, wringing her hands as every bit of anger and fear that had built up in her since the fall of Highmaul came pouring out unbidden.

"In the past week, I have had to bury one of the few people who might have considered me a friend. In fact, there wasn't actually anything left to bury, because she was simply  _erased_  from existence. Not to mention the other soldiers who died in Highmaul, on my watch," she said painfully. "And then, I did something I swore I would never, ever do. I wasn't shocked, or in pain, Varian, like when I stood against Deathwing. I knew exactly what I was doing, and what's  _worse_ , part of me  _liked_ it. I spent a  _long_ time picturing myself as the next Empress of Highmaul. Does that seem like something a good person would do? Does it seem  _worthy_?"

She was practically yelling by now, her gnawing anxiety given full rein. Varian bore the brunt of her sudden tirade with outward stoicism, while something dangerous simmered behind his too-knowing eyes.

"Do you know what my men see when they look at me now?" Auriana continued. "They see a monster. Someone every bit as unstable and unpredictable as Garrosh Hellscream."

"You are  _not_  Garrosh," Varian said forcefully, his voice cracking in the air like a whip.

"But I could be. And what's more, I'd be worse. Do you really think Jaina wants me in Dalaran so that she can train me?" Auriana demanded, eyes blazing. "She's making sure that she can  _kill_  me, if I ever force her hand."

Auriana could feel the hot sting of tears in the corner of her eyes, and she blinked them away furiously.

"And then you… you're…" she sighed, unable to find the words _._ "Barely half a year ago, you were the target of all the anger and pain I had in this world, and now… and now…"

"Yes?" Varian prompted, a dark, unknowable emotion flashing across his face.

"Now… I care about you far more than I ever would have believed possible. And it  _terrifies_  me, Varian," she admitted.

His stern gaze brightened with a sudden wild hope.

"I still don't understand," he repeated, his voice soft. "You must know that… that I feel the same way. That I care about you. Deeply. Why are you fighting so hard against this?"

Varian moved forwards once more, and she could clearly see that he wanted to hold her. Auriana dodged quickly out of his reach and raised a hand. She had to keep her thoughts clear, and at the moment Varian was simply too complicated.

"I don't know," she said honestly. "I just know that I need time to figure out what this all means, to figure out who I am, and what I want."

"I see," Varian said stiffly. "For what it's worth, what I want hasn't changed. I know who you are, and I  _need_  you, Auri."

His quiet admission sent shivers up Auriana's spine. It would have been so easy to simply fall forwards into his arms, but a quiet, fearful voice in the corner of her mind held her back.

"I'm sorry," she murmured. "But I need time."

"As you wish. However... I won't wait endlessly, Auriana. I care about you far too much to allow myself to be drawn into a lengthy back and forth," Varian said, though his tone did not match the certainty of his words. "I can't have you running away on me all the time."

"I would never expect you to wait," Auriana agreed quickly. "Just… I need a little time.  _Please_."

Varian nodded, though he looked as bitterly disappointed as he had when she'd turned him away after the Siege of Grommashar. He moved away dismissively, and Auriana took her cue to leave. She had just reached the door when Varian offered a parting thought.

"You can't run away forever, Auriana," he said quietly. "I hope you know that."


	16. Varian

Varian sat alone in his private study, irritably pouring over the endless pile of papers that seemed to make up the running of his kingdom. It had been a week since he'd last seen Auriana, and Varian had been in a foul mood ever since. He didn't understand for the life of him why she was being so obstinate about something that was so obviously right, and he was rapidly losing patience. Varian had been sorely tempted to just show up at Lunarfall and talk some sense into the little mage, but she'd asked for space, and so he had endeavoured to distract himself with mind-numbing paperwork. He had just read the same report five times in a row, when he was mercifully interrupted by the unexpected arrival of his exceedingly cheerful son.

"Good morning!" the prince said, striding energetically into the room.

"Hello, Anduin," Varian said, placing his papers back down on the table. "What can I do for you today?"

"I've been trying to figure out how long you intend to sit in your study sulking, but I've had no luck, and so I thought I might ask you directly," Anduin said brightly, apparently unconcerned with softening his point.

"Kings don't sulk, Anduin," Varian growled in protest, though he knew that was precisely what he was doing.

"My apologies. What shall we call it instead? Brooding? Moping? Huffing?" Anduin suggested, his eyes sparkling.

Varian frowned humourlessly and looked up at his son. He leant back in his chair and crossed his arms across his chest.

"Brooding sounds the more regal, I suppose," he growled sarcastically. "Did you come up here just to tease me, Anduin, or did you have something that you wished to discuss?"

"Actually, I'd like to know what happened between you and Auriana, and what you intend to do about it," Anduin said blithely.

Varian raised an eyebrow, and gave Anduin a withering stare. Perhaps only a few years ago, Anduin would have been cowed by such a look, but he was no longer so easily intimidated. Anduin met his gaze levelly, and Varian was both frustrated and proud.

"What makes you think that something happened between me and Auriana?" Varian asked slowly.

"Because she seems to be the only thing that makes this upset lately," Anduin observed shrewdly.

"I'm not upset, Anduin," Varian said peevishly, realising a second too late that his words were belied by his tone.

"Very convincing," Anduin agreed, smiling.

The prince flopped down elegantly on one of the chaise lounges that lined Varian's study, and stared up at his father innocently.

"Anduin, there isn't really anything to talk about," Varian said firmly. "I'm fine. Auriana is fine. Everything is…"

"Fine?" Anduin supplied, raising a golden eyebrow. "Come now, Father, when are you going to stop treating me like some dewy eyed child? A blind murloc could see that she means something to you. Can we dispense with the charade, please?"

Varian sighed, and stared back at his son steadily.

"I'll have you know that my reticence to discuss Auriana has nothing to do with you being a child," Varian said. "And more to do with the fact that you are  _my_  child."

"Oh!" exclaimed Anduin, genuinely taken aback. "I'll admit, I didn't think about it that way. Well, I suppose we don't have to talk, if you'd prefer we didn't. I was just... concerned, Father."

Varian regarded his son thoughtfully. He wasn't one to talk about… anything, really... but Anduin's straightforward earnestness was admittedly inviting. Varian sighed, and decided that for once in his life he would attempt to be open with his son. Being stoic and emotionally unavailable hadn't served him particularly well in the past, and he figured it might be past time to treat Anduin like the man he was rapidly becoming.

"Very well. What is it that you would like to discuss?" he said. "No specifics, mind. I'm still not sure this is really a conversation I should be having with my son."

"Are you romantically involved with Auriana?" Anduin asked swiftly.

His blue eyes were cautiously eager, and he was clearly surprised and confused by Varian's willingness to talk.

"I'd… I'd like to be," Varian said slowly. "Unfortunately, our relationship has been somewhat… complicated… of late."

"Why is it complicated?" Anduin asked, emboldened by Varian's responsiveness. "I had the impression that you two were getting along better after I had…"

"Interfered?" Varian suggested.

Anduin blushed, but he didn't really look all that abashed.

"Auriana…" Varian mused, trying to find the right words. "She's like a wild animal. If one moves too swiftly or startles her, she'll simply flee."

"That's surprisingly poetic of you, Father," Anduin teased lightly.

"My apologies," Varian quipped, cracking his knuckles. "Let me rephrase. 'Pretty girl run away'."

Anduin laughed, and Varian returned his mirth with a wry grin. Anduin had a decidedly infectious laugh, and Varian marvelled at the fact that they were having an actual, adult conversation. Being open with Anduin was much easier than he had anticipated, and Varian wondered what he'd missed out on having avoided such discussions in the past.

He sighed, and scratched thoughtfully at his chin.

"I thought that I'd managed to get through to her, but she… well, it appears that she has run away again. She hasn't spoken to me for a week. I apologise for my poor temper, but I suppose I've rather given up on her, and I… I'm disappointed," Varian said heavily.

"It's not like you to give up," Anduin observed. "Usually, you just take what you want."

"Light, Anduin, I'm not going to force myself on her," Varian said, alarmed by the suggestion.

"No! No, that's not what I meant," Anduin said quickly, his eyes widening. "I meant… you're a fighter, Father, it's just unusual to see you surrender so easily."

"It's more complicated than that, Anduin," Varian sighed. "I wouldn't expect you to understand."

"Well, I might be just a child, but I don't see why it has to be so complicated," Anduin said, rankling. "It's fairly obvious that she cares deeply for you."

"Do you think so?" Varian asked swiftly.

"Well, at least from what I've seen," Anduin said, shrugging. "I'm certainly no expert, but it's sort of difficult not to notice the way she lights up when she's around you."

Varian tried not to show how his heart leapt in sudden hope. Given all that had happened, Varian had half convinced himself that he'd simply imagined that Auriana had cared for him, and he was very interested in Anduin's perspective.

"Do you disapprove?" he asked Anduin tentatively.

"I wasn't aware I had a vote," Anduin said bluntly. "You made that fairly clear when we last discussed my involvement in your relationships."

"I apologise. I may have been somewhat… heavy handed... in my approach to that particular conversation," Varian admitted.

"Heavy handed? That's unlike you," Anduin quipped.

"Ha, ha," Varian growled drily, raising his heavy eyebrows. "I see you've been sharply honing your wit of late, my son. Tell me, have you been practicing your combat skills as much?"

The king and prince shared a companionable smile, but when Varian broke the silence, his voice was soft and serious.

"I just thought… it must be strange for you, to think of me with someone who is not your mother," Varian said carefully.

It had been something that had been weighing heavily on his mind. It wasn't Anduin's place to meddle directly in his affairs, but Varian still cared deeply about his son's approval. Varian and Anduin rarely discussed Tiffin, so much so that it was almost an unspoken rule between them. Varian had been thinking of his lost wife a lot recently, wondering if she would take it as some kind of betrayal for him to seek the love of another woman, or if Anduin would do the same. Tiffin had been a singularly generous woman, and Varian suspected she would have only ever wanted his happiness. He was less confident in Anduin's willingness to embrace another woman, however. Anduin had only been a babe when Tiffin had perished, but Varian knew the loss of his mother had scarred the prince deeply. Despite his feelings for Auriana, Varian knew that if Anduin disapproved, he would end any relationship, no matter the personal cost.

"To be fair, I never really knew you as you were with my mother," Anduin said slowly. "Please… don't deny yourself happiness on my behalf, Father, I couldn't abide that. I don't think… I don't think  _she'd_  want that, either..."

"Anduin… how you became the man you are is beyond me," Varian said seriously, his heart swelling with pride in his son. "I suspect it was most likely  _despite_  me."

Anduin flushed with pleasure at Varian's words, and for a long moment they sat in silence. Varian gazed at his son affectionately, and Anduin smiled softly.

"Do… do you like her? Auriana, I mean," Varian asked finally.

"Well, she's very guarded," Anduin said. "But yes, I do. She's clever, and kind, and very funny when she's not trying to ice out the world."

Varian snorted at Anduin's surprisingly accurate description of Auriana, and Anduin grinned.

"She doesn't seem like she'd let you get away with much, either," Anduin mused. "I like that. It would be good if you could sort this all out, I'd like to continue learning from her and I can't have you chasing her away."

"I'll do my best," Varian drolly. "For you, of course."

"Of course," Anduin said innocently, grinning.

Varian grunted sarcastically by way of reply, but he was secretly quite pleased that he'd been able to talk to Anduin so naturally. Anduin, too, seemed fairly happy, judging from the broad grin on his face. The prince moved to speak once more, when there came a loud rap at the door.

"Come," Varian ordered, and the chamber door opened to reveal a slight, pretty Stormwind guard.

"Sorry to interrupt, Your Majesty, and Your Highness," she said, smiling, "But I've Archmage Khadgar to see you."

"Khadgar?" Varian said in surprise, wondering what could have possibly bought the Archmage to Stormwind.

He exchanged a quick glance with Anduin, who looked equally nonplussed.

"Yes, Your Majesty," the guard affirmed, her eyes flicking briefly to Anduin. "Should… should I send him in?"

"Yes, of course," Varian said curiously. "Thank you."

The guard complied immediately, and moments later Khadgar swept into the room, his grey brows knit together seriously. He gave Varian a short bow, tucking his hands into the long sleeves of his robe. There was a quiet urgency about his eyes, and Varian was instantly concerned.

"Good morning, Varian, Anduin," Khadgar said warmly. "Anduin… I'm very sorry to bother you, but I need to speak to your father alone, if you'd be so kind."

"Of course," Anduin said smoothly, but Varian could tell his son was disappointed to have been dismissed. "I'll see you at dinner, Father."

Varian nodded in acknowledgement as Anduin departed, surprisingly without further argument. Khadgar followed the prince with his keen gaze, and didn't speak until the door had closed behind him.

"What do you want, Khadgar?" Varian asked curiously, leaning forwards and tenting his hands on his desk.

"It appears that we have a problem," Khadgar said seriously. "Have you spoken to Auriana lately?"

"No," Varian said stiffly. "Is there something wrong?"

"I'm not sure," Khadgar said carefully. "I received a strange message from her second this morning. Lieutenant Thorn is very concerned about the Commander. It appears that she has all but gone into seclusion."

Varian frowned.

"What does that mean?" he asked.

"Apparently, the Commander still provides orders to direct the day to day running of the garrison, but her men have barely sighted her since she came back from Highmaul. According to Lieutenant Thorn, she never leaves her quarters and all but refuses to speak to anyone in her command," Khadgar said.

"I see," said Varian, his mind racing as his processed Khadgar's words.

"Jaina told me what happened in Highmaul," Khadgar said softly. "I'm assuming that you know as well. I had no idea, of course, but it explains much. Unfortunately, it seems Auriana has been more affected by this turn of events than I had anticipated."

"Have you spoken to her directly?" Varian asked.

"Ah… I'm not sure I would be well received," Khadgar explained. "I think she blames me, in part, for what happened, given that she assaulted Highmaul at my request. I was hoping that you might talk her around."

Varian grunted and rose to his feet, pacing around his desk.

"What makes you think she'd listen to me?"

"I know you two are friends," Khadgar said carefully. "And moreover, she's a Commander in your army. Auriana may be many things, but she's Alliance to her bones. She'd never dare refuse her King."

"I don't think strong-arming her is likely to achieve anything, Khadgar," Varian pointed out. "You know as well as I do that she's as stubborn as a mule."

"Perhaps, but this cannot continue, Varian," Khadgar replied. "I  _need_  her. We have the Iron Horde pushed back to Gorgrond and Tanaan. If we can strike swiftly, before they are able to consolidate their strongholds further, then we significantly increase our chances of victory in this war!"

"I understand, Khadgar," Varian said seriously. "I'll deal with this directly."

"Thank you, Your Majesty," Khadgar said gratefully, relief evident on his face. "Would you like to return with me directly?"

"I suppose now is as good a time as any," Varian said, looking down at his neglected paperwork. "Let me arrange an escort, and then you can take me out to Lunarfall. Apparently, it's high time I inspected my garrison."


	17. Varian

Khadgar used his powers to teleport Varian directly to Lunarfall. The base had come a long way since it had been established, and it was now a significant bastion of Alliance power. Varian's unexpected arrival caused no small stir amongst the soldiers of Lunarfall, who reacted to his presence with various bows, salutes, and even cries of "Varian Wrynn!" and "For the Alliance!".

Khadgar had elected not to accompany the King, concerned as he was about his currently rocky relationship with Auriana. Instead, Varian had the protection of a squadron of twenty of his best guards, though he doubted they would be needed. Lunarfall was arguably as secure as any Alliance base on Azeroth, and Shadowmoon Valley was held far more securely than it had been when Varian had first visited Draenor. He had a vague flashback to his adventures in Tanaan Jungle, when he had first met Auriana, and hoped that  _this_  visit to Draenor would be somewhat more successful.

One of the current guards of the watch pointed Varian towards the garrison town hall, where he found a stern faced worgen woman coordinating the garrison operations. He gathered that this was Lieutenant Thorn, Auriana's second, and he coughed softly to announce his presence. The young lieutenant practically leapt out of her skin at Varian's approach, jumping to attention and offering him a flawless salute.

"Your Majesty!" she exclaimed, her face flushing red. "What brings you to Lunarfall? I didn't think we were expecting you…"

"Don't worry yourself, Lieutenant, I wasn't expected," Varian said smoothly. "You hadn't forgotten me. I apologise for the intrusion, but I haven't yet been out to Lunarfall. I hope my impromptu visit won't be a problem."

"Not at all," Thorn said crisply. "Lunarfall will always be open to you, Your Majesty. Er… will you be inspecting the garrison, my Lord?"

"Yes, but first I'd like a word with your Commander. Is she in?"

Thorn's face fell, and she looked nervously down at the floor.

"She's… upstairs, in her quarters," the Lieutenant said slowly. "Would you like me to send for her, my Lord?"

"No, I will go to her directly," Varian said.

"Would you like an escort, Your Majesty?" Thorn offered.

"It's fine, Lieutenant, I can handle your Commander just fine on my own," he said, his tone leaving no room for argument.

Lieutenant Thorn looked rather skeptical, but she nodded nonetheless. Varian ordered his escort to remain where they were, and made his way upstairs on Lieutenant Thorn's instructions. He quickly found Auriana's private quarters, and rapped his knuckles sharply on the door.

"If you've got papers for me, Thorn, just leave them at the door, I'll deal with them shortly," Auriana called from within, her voice muffled by the heavy wood of the door.

"Auriana, it's Varian," he said softly.

He heard a heavy thump from within the room, and waited somewhat impatiently for Auriana to come to the threshold. There was some delay, and for a moment Varian wondered if he'd have to break down the door to get to her, when the lock clicked and the heavy wooden door swung open. Auriana peered cautiously around the doorframe, barely creating enough space for her luminous, silvery face to be seen through the gap.

Varian started at her appearance. Her hair was messy and loose, her cheekbones gaunt, and there were great dark circles under her eyes. It looked as if she had barely eaten or slept in a week, which Varian realised was probably an accurate assessment. She wasn't even dressed in her usual uniform or leathers, but rather in a loose dressing gown that she clutched over her chest with slender hands. One of her shoulders was bare, and Varian was alarmed at the colour of her skin, pale even by her standards. She looked very small, and somehow diminished. For all she'd come out of her shell in the time since Varian had known her, it now appeared she had reverted to the cold, uncertain young woman Varian had met in Tanaan Jungle.

"Varian… what are you doing here?" she asked warily. "You know… you know I asked for time."

"I'm not here on personal business, Auriana," Varian said roughly, pushing past her into the room. "I'm here on request of Khadgar. He's concerned about the current state of Lunarfall's command."

"Khadgar sent you," Auriana repeatedly flatly, closing the door in Varian's wake and folding her arms protectively across her chest.

"Yes," Varian said, settling himself against Auriana's desk and turning his stern gaze upon her. "So. Would you care to explain why you've decided to become a hermit?"

"You really shouldn't have come all this way," Auriana said, ignoring the question.

She turned away, and busied herself with running her fingers through her loose hair in a futile attempt at tidiness. The dismissal in her posture was evident, making Varian sigh with frustration.

"Must we do this, Auriana?" he asked.

"Do what?" she asked, her voice wary and even slightly hostile.

"Must we pretend as if there's nothing wrong?" Varian said. "Talk to me, Auri."

"There's nothing to talk about, Varian," she replied, her eyes flashing.

"It wasn't a question, Auriana. I am here as your King, and you  _will_  speak to me," Varian ordered. "Why are you neglecting your duties?"

"I'm not neglecting my duties," she protested stiffly. "The garrison is still functioning. I've got squads conducting operations and raids as we speak."

"And yet you refuse to leave this room. That isn't effective command, Auriana, as I'm sure you know," Varian pointed out. "How does that best serve your men?"

"I'm up here for them!" she snapped. "I'm protecting them!"

"Protecting them from what?"

"From  _me_ ," Auriana said emphatically, her voice breaking. "You don't what they think of me, Varian."

"Do  _you_  know what they think of you?" Varian challenged her. "If you've been hiding up here since Highmaul, how could you possibly have any idea what they think?"

"You wouldn't understand," she said petulantly, shooting him a coldly furious look over her shoulder. "You don't know what it's like to let your men down like that. Like I did. All my life, I've only ever been good at one thing, and that's fighting. And now… now it seems as if I can't even do that properly anymore."

Varian swept forwards in a single, precise movement. He gripped Auriana's upper arm firmly, and pulled her around to face him.

"Do you really think that I don't understand what it is to let people down?" he said quietly. "I couldn't protect my wife. My city was consumed by riots. I disappeared. I left behind my  _son_ , and my people. It wasn't my fault, but the consequences were the same. My kingdom and my people were left vulnerable and alone."

Auriana looked away, her dark hair falling across her eyes, but Varian was determined to make her listen. He caught her chin, and lifted her face upwards to his.

"Even after I returned, I… I was not the King that Stormwind deserved. My people have suffered for my arrogance, and my pride, and my anger…" he said. "If anyone understands what it is to let people down, it's me."

He released her from his iron grip, and she stepped away, her eyes still cold.

"I have never been a perfect king, Auriana," Varian continued, "But I have never fled from the consequences of my actions, good or bad. I won't tolerate cowardice, nor selfishness. In either myself, or you."

"Selfishness? How on earth am I being selfish? I'm protecting my men!" she demanded.

"Don't pretend," Varian said coldly. "It is not  _their_ fear, or  _their_ shame, which has driven you up here, but your own. You are hiding, instead of doing what's best for your men, which is commanding this garrison to your full ability. Your men need you, and yet here we are. I told you that you can't run forever, but it seems that you have not listened."

"What are you trying to say, Varian?" she said suspiciously.

"If you are no longer capable of effective leadership, I will take this command away from you, Auriana," Varian replied heavily.

"You wouldn't dare!" she shot back, her face flushing with real emotion for the first time since Varian had entered the room.

"I'm the High King of the Alliance. I'll do what I must to ensure the continued success of this command," Varian said dangerously. "Lunarfall deserves the best. I'd like to think that's you, but if it isn't, I will take steps to rectify the situation."

"Lunarfall means  _everything_  to me," Auriana breathed, her eyes burning.

"Then be worthy of it," Varian said sternly. "This is what it means to be a leader, Auriana. We must be better than we are. We must be better than our fear, than our doubt. For the Alliance."

Auriana glowered and looked down at the floor. Varian sighed and walked forwards once more, placing his hands gently on her slender shoulders. She stiffened under his touch, but Varian was not so easily dissuaded.

"Why are you so determined to shut out the world?" he asked, his voice softening. "You have far too much to offer to hide yourself away so."

"Lately it seems as if I have nothing but my anger," she said quietly, her fire burning out as quickly as it had arisen.

"Is that really what you think?" Varian asked. "You're looking at this all wrong. Do you not see? You chose to embrace your fury, but you also chose to step back from the edge. You had the strength to resist temptation, and you kept your men safe."

He gestured out the window to the garrison.

"Your men still follow your orders. They still work for you, fight for you. What does that say? Many of them are alive because of what you did. They might be shocked, yes, and perhaps even a little frightened, but I very much doubt they see you as the monster you seem to think you are," he told her gently.

Auriana closed her eyes as if in pain, shaking her head, and Varian sighed in disappointment. He stepped back.

"I'm going to go downstairs to tour the garrison. I'd like you to join me. I think it would benefit your men to observe a united front between their Commander and their King," he said firmly.

Auriana didn't reply, instead turning her back upon him once more as her shoulders slumped forwards and her eyes found the floor. It seemed that there was no convincing her, and Varian didn't know what else he could possibly say.

"Very well," he muttered dismissively, as he made his way towards the door with a heavy heart.

* * *

Varian stomped downstairs, seething in frustration and disappointment. As much as it would pain him to do so, it seemed as if he might have to demote Auriana from command of Lunarfall. In his agitation, he walked swiftly into the main room of the garrison town hall, where Lieutenant Thorn and his honour guard waited patiently.

"I'd like to take a tour of the garrison now, Thorn, if you'd be so kind," he said quickly, perhaps more sternly than he had intended.

For a second, it looked as if Thorn intended to ask after Auriana, but she wisely heeded the forbidding look in Varian's eyes and held her tongue.

"Of course, Your Majesty," she said crisply. "We can start with the barracks, if you'd like. This way."

She gestured invitingly, and Varian followed her out of the room. He listened with half an ear while Thorn pointed out various points of interest as they walked, his thoughts preoccupied with the absent Auriana. Thorn led him to the barracks, troops jumping to quick attention as he passed. Varian was pleased to see that the barracks were clean and well kept, and he was impressed by the quality of Lunarfall's troops, which made Auriana's turn into reticence that much more frustrating. She had the potential to be a good commander, perhaps even a great one, but it seemed as if her talent would be squandered by her own fear.

It took some time to explore the full extent of the barracks, especially as Varian found it so difficult to keep his attention on the here and now, instead of upstairs with Auriana. After what seemed like an age, Thorn lead him outside and back into the garrison courtyard. As Varian emerged into the bright sunlight, he felt his breath catch unexpectedly in his throat as he beheld Auriana waiting for them. She'd changed from her dishevelled robe into an Alliance officer's uniform, and she gazed at Varian with cool eyes. Her hair was still slightly unkempt, but her uniform was neat and pressed, and her eyes were ever so slightly brighter.

"Commander!" Thorn exclaimed, evidently as surprised as Varian to see Auriana out of her quarters. "Are… is everything alright? Can I assist you?"

"Everything's fine, Thorn. Thank you for your help, but I can escort His Majesty from here," Auriana said calmly. "After all, this is my garrison."

She lifted her chin, as if she expected Varian to challenge her, and met his eyes levelly. Varian didn't smile, but he nodded his sincere approval. Some of the fight that he so adored had returned to Auriana's eyes, and her back was once again straight and proud.

"This way, if you would, my Lord," Auriana said, pointing towards the garrison stables. "I thought we might discuss my plans for northern Gorgrond, if you were amenable."

"I would certainly be interested," Varian said, his tone even but warm. "Lead on, Commander."


	18. Auriana

Auriana spent much of the rest of her afternoon showing Varian around Lunarfall, and introducing him to her troops. Despite her anxiety, she forced herself to act in her role as Commander, determined not to disappoint either Varian or her men further. The possibility of losing Lunarfall had frozen her heart in her chest, and the ultimatum had been enough to overcome her apprehension and urge her out of hiding, as she suspected Varian had intended.

Her heart still beat slightly too fast as she lead Varian around Lunarfall's various points of interest, but the overwhelming sense of fear and panic that had followed her since Highmaul had mercifully lessened since Varian had confronted her. Thorn followed faithfully on their heels, her eyes protectively scanning the garrison for any threat to the King, unlikely as it would be that he would be attacked within the confines of Lunarfall.

While she was not exactly pleased at Varian's presence on Draenor, nor that her own poor attitude had required it, Auriana had to admit that he had a considerable effect on garrison morale, as well as her own. Varian's affection for the soldiers of the Alliance was plain to see, and they lifted noticeably in his presence. Auriana was begrudgingly impressed by his remarkable ability to get her men on side, and she was even slightly jealous. Her talents in command lay in strategy and logistics, not in her personality, and she envied Varian's surprisingly easy charisma.

The King didn't speak to her much after their confrontation in her quarters, only talking when he had to, either to ask directions or to comment on a particular aspect of the garrison. As they walked, they fell into stiff roles of King and Commander, and Auriana was suddenly quite afraid that she'd irreparably damaged something between them. Nevertheless, she refused to give Varian any possible reason to strip her of command, and she behaved as a perfect model of an Alliance officer, albeit a tired one.

It was nearly twilight by the time Varian was finally satisfied with his inspection, and requested that she open a portal back to Stormwind. Auriana gathered her power, ignoring the small frisson of fear that she now felt when using her magic. Fortunately, the portal opened without incident, and soon Varian's elite guard were filing neatly through a shimmering hole in the air. Before he entered the portal, however, Varian pulled her to the side, slightly out of the view of Thorn and her other men, and placed a hand on her arm. His face was inscrutable, but his tone was soft and his hand was gentle.

"Auriana… I hope I'll see you back in Stormwind soon?" he asked.

The question was heavy with meaning, and Auriana realised he was now speaking to her personally, rather than as one of his officers.

"Yes," she said quickly, much to her own surprise.

The King nodded once in approval, and his stern expression warmed ever so slightly.

"Varian..." she added. "Thank you. For today, I mean. I…"

"I didn't tell you anything you didn't already know," the King said sternly, but he looked pleased none the less. "Let me know when you're ready to stop running."

"Believe me, you'll be the first to know," Auriana said softly.

Varian harrumphed by way of reply, shaking his head as he stepped forwards into the portal and disappeared in a flash of light. Auriana watched him go, biting her lip thoughtfully as his powerful form disappeared. Once he was gone, she released the magic powering the portal, and as it faded into nothingness she found herself staring over at Lieutenant Thorn.

Most of the other soldiers nearby had dispersed, leaving Auriana and Thorn largely alone. The worgen's eyes were inky black, and she shifted nervously under Auriana's keen gaze. The Lieutenant turned hesitantly, ready to walk away, when Auriana spoke.

"Thorn… a moment," she said, steeling her spine for what was likely to be an awkward conversation.

"Yes, Commander?" Thorn said slowly, the trepidation in her voice clear.

"I… I wanted to apologise, Lieutenant. I know I've been somewhat… absent… of late," Auriana said fumblingly. "I owe the whole garrison an apology, really, but I know that you in particular have been carrying the weight of my inattention."

Thorn's eyes widened in genuine surprise, and she twisted her hands as she gathered her thoughts.

"I appreciate it, Commander," she said finally. "Though I know this week cannot have been easy on you."

"What do you mean?"

"Gale told me of what happened in Highmaul," Thorn said slowly. "He said you were very brave, and that you were practically alone when you defeated the Imperator."

"He said I was brave?" Auriana said suspiciously, raising an eyebrow.

"Yes. Well, 'brave and terrifying' were his exact words," Thorn said nervously. "Er… Commander."

"Ah. I suspected as much," Auriana sighed, her stomach leaping awkwardly. "I… quite frankly, Thorn, I'm not sure what to say. There's… well, there's no excuse, really."

She sighed, and for a long moment there was only silence.

"Commander… if I might speak freely… we worgen understand fury. I know something of what must have happened in Highmaul," Thorn said tentatively. "That said… If you continue to run this garrison as you have until this point, you'll have no arguments from me."

It was a surprisingly personal admission from the typically all-business Thorn, and Auriana greatly appreciated the support. She was quite confused by how readily Thorn had accepted the apology, but she was exceedingly grateful.

"Um… thank you, Thorn. I'll do my best," she said sincerely.

Auriana cleared her suddenly tight throat, and she managed to smile for the first time in a week.

"I'd like to address the men tomorrow, too, if you could make the arrangements," Auriana said briskly. "In the meantime, however, there's somewhere else I need to be."

She had belatedly realised that Thorn and the other men of Lunarfall were not the only people to whom she owed an explanation and an apology. Thorn looked suddenly skeptical, as if she thought that Auriana might disappear and never come back. Auriana tried to project an air of calm and reassurance, though it appeared to do little to soothe her protective Lieutenant.

"Really, Thorn, I'll be back before dinner," she said firmly. "You needn't worry."

"Of course, Commander," Thorn said, her tone still slightly dubious. "I will keep watch for your return, and I will arrange the troop inspection as you wish."

"Thank you," Auriana said. "You're an excellent second, Thorn. I mean that. I'll be back shortly."

Thorn didn't smile at the compliment, but from the sudden brightening of her eyes, Auriana could tell that the worgen was pleased. Satisfied with Thorn's response, Auriana stepped back slightly, breathing deeply as she once again called on her power and teleported to out to Zangarra.

* * *

The Zangarra valley glowed unearthly blue-green in the twilight as Auriana reappeared in a burst of arcane light. As she had just over a week ago, Auriana made her way swiftly past the guards and up into Khadgar's mage tower. This time, however, her steps were not fuelled by rage and sorrow, but rather contrition, and not a fair bit of trepidation. Khadgar was not typically one to hold a grudge, but she doubted he would have taken kindly to her blaming him for the disaster in Highmaul.

Cordana Felsong admitted her to Khadgar's study with great reluctance, and Auriana didn't miss the way that the warden's hands tightened on her umbra crescent as she passed. She chose to ignore Cordana's disquiet, however, and walked into Khdagar's study with her head held high.

"Auriana," the Archmage said in surprise, rising swiftly to his feet as she entered. "I…"

"Please," she said, holding up a hand. "Let me speak. I owe you an apology."

"Whatever for?" Khadgar said, genuine surprise evident in his voice.

"I was… uncharitable… last time we spoke. What happened in Highmaul was not your fault," Auriana said stiffly. "I shouldn't have taken my anger out on you. I'm sorry."

"Please, Auriana, you owe me nothing," Khadgar said kindly. "I understand why you spoke as you did."

"Be that as it may… I  _am_  sorry," Auriana said softly.

Khadgar accepted the apology with a gracious nod, and scratched thoughtfully at the dark stubble on his chin. Auriana was taken aback by his acceptance, as she had been with Lieutenant Thorn. Evidently, her friends and comrades were more tolerant of her failings than she tended to be, much to her everlasting surprise. She frowned deeply, trying to understand why people would be so forgiving, when she realised that Khadgar was still speaking.

"It  _is_  good to see you out of your quarters," he was saying. "I know you probably didn't appreciate my interference, but your lieutenants were quite concerned."

"Actually, I agree that it was warranted," Auriana murmured. "I've not exactly been my best self recently."

"Hmm," Khadgar said thoughtfully. "I take it Varian was able to talk some sense into you, then. What did he say?"

Auriana stiffened slightly at the mention of Varian's name, and she looked down at her hands.

"Ah… he threatened to take Lunarfall away from me," Auriana said, her tone deceptively light.

Khadgar ran a hand through his short grey hair, his thick grey brows knitting in consternation.

"Well, I'm glad it worked, but really..." he said. "When I asked him to speak to you, I had hoped he would be somewhat more delicate."

"You hoped that  _Varian Wrynn_  would be  _delicate_?" Auriana asked disbelievingly. "You've been out here too long, Khadgar."

"I see my error now, of course. He's a good man, but he has all the subtlety of a large hammer," Khadgar said lightly.

"Well, apparently a hammer is what it takes to get through my thick head," Auriana countered, the corner of her lips twitching with genuine mirth. "So… no harm done."

Khadgar bowed his head and laughed, and Auriana finally relaxed. Khadgar had a rich, infectious laugh, and his easy companionship served to lift some of the great weight that had been pressing down upon her weary shoulders.

"I do wish that you'd told me of this issue beforehand, Auri," Khadgar added, his face becoming serious once more. "I might have helped."

He walked around from his desk to stand right in front of her and folded his arms across his chest.

"I'm not sure if you can help. I am who I am," Auriana said reluctantly. "Highmaul..."

"Jaina told me what happened," Khadgar interrupted, his voice still kind. "You needn't repeat the story, I know you've probably thought about more than enough in the last few days."

Auriana smiled sadly, grateful for Khadgar's perceptiveness.

"However," he continued, "I will say this. I was impressed that you were able to walk away without harming your men… that couldn't have been easy."

"I think that may have been more luck than any skill on my behalf," Auriana said ruefully. "I never should have given in to my fury the way I did, no matter what I was trying to achieve."

"For what it's worth, I understand why you did what you did," Khadgar said gently. "I understand your intention to protect your men, by whatever means necessary."

"Unfortunately, intentions count for very little, Khadgar," she said seriously.

"What do you mean?"

"Arthas Menethil had the best of intentions when he started down the path that lead him to becoming the Lich King," Auriana explained. "Malygos believed he was protecting Azeroth when he decided to purge all other magic users from existence. Kairozdormu had the defeat of the Burning Legion in mind when he brought Garrosh Hellscream here to Draenor to raise the Iron Horde. Hell, I don't doubt that even Garrosh himself believed that his actions were what was best for the Horde … from a certain point of view."

Auriana gave a wry, weary chuckle, and closed her hands into fists.

"I could give you more examples, if you liked," she said, "But I think you take my point. Both Azeroth and Draenor have suffered greatly from those acting with the  _best intentions_. All that matters is what we actually  _do_ , in the end"

"Surely you don't think you are comparable to someone like  _Arthas_ ," Khadgar protested, his blue eyes darkening in concern.

"Who knows what I what be capable of, given the right circumstances? Who knows what any of us would do, if we thought we might protect the things – and the people – that we love," she said darkly. "I acted out of loyalty, and out of a desire to protect my men, but I could have just as easily obliterated them as saved them. I can't forget that I did considerable damage to the mages of the Kirin Tor, even if they should recover fully."

Khadgar didn't reply. Instead, he shifted uncomfortably, understanding flashing across his face, and Auriana suddenly realised that he, too, must have dealt with the temptation of magical power. She shook her head.

"Was the Sigil what you were hoping for?" she said finally, changing the topic swiftly.

"Yes, actually," Khadgar said, brightening slightly. "It's quite a remarkable relic, and it will be of great use to us here in Draenor."

He reached into his pocket, withdrawing a shining ring and rolling it between his fingers. Auriana could feel its power, even from several feet away, and her magical senses stirred in warning. She forcibly slowed her breathing, still head shy as she was about any significant magic within her vicinity.

"The knowledge contained within the Sigil is remarkable," Khadgar said enthusiastically. "Mar'gok was an unbelievably powerful… well, as I'm sure you are aware…"

Khadgar's blue eyes bored into her own, and he gazed at her with a great pride.

"To have defeated him as you did… I know you perhaps don't see the brighter side of this whole Highmaul affair right now, but you really must understand how exceptional you are, Commander."

"Er… thank you," Auriana coughed uncomfortably.

She'd never admit it, but the fact that she had been able to kill Mar'gok both frightened and excited her in equal measure, and she had purposely tried not to think too hard on what that might mean. Khadgar evidently noticed her consternation, however, for he smiled apologetically and once again changed the topic.

"I'm sorry, I did say that you didn't need to speak on Highmaul further," he said. "I managed to fuse the power of the Sigil with a second recovered artifact, a solium band that was recovered from Skyreach. We now have the means by which to hunt Gul'Dan, as well as the basis for a very powerful weapon to aid in our fight."

"A weapon?" Auriana asked, her own curiosity roused by Khadgar's obvious enthusiasm for magical discovery.

She subconsciously found herself leaning forwards, her attention captured by the glimmering ring.

"Indeed," Khadgar said quickly. "I believe I can further infuse this ring, and turn it into an artifact of peerless power. We will turn the very essence of Draenor itself against Gul'Dan, and anyone else who tries to stand against us!"

The Archmage held his palm out, the ring glowing invitingly in the dying light. His face grew very serious, and some of his earlier genial enthusiasm was replaced by a fierce intensity.

"I'd like you to bear it, when it's done," Khadgar said carefully. "A weapon is nothing without someone to wield it."

"Me?" Auriana asked, her chest constricting in apprehension.

"Who better?" Khadgar asked seriously. "You have more than proven yourself a formidable warrior. You have the might of Lunarfall behind you, and you have the power to wield such an artifact to its fullest. There are few sorcerers who have the power to stand against you as it is, let alone with the power of such a relic."

"I can't accept that, Khadgar," she said, subconsciously backing away. "What did we  _just_ discuss? I should stay as far away from temptation as possible, not… stick it on my finger. As it is, I can barely use magic to light a candle without fear of losing control."

Khadgar eyed her thoughtfully, though it appeared he would not be so easily dissuaded.

"Well, it will take some time to finish," he said lightly, slipping the ring back into his pocket.

Auriana exhaled with relief as the ring disappeared into Khadgar's dark robes, but she knew it was not likely to be the last time that they would discuss the artifact. Khadgar could be like a dog with a bone when he set his mind on something, and it appeared he saw Auriana as his next project. She sighed.

"In the meantime… promise me you'll think on my offer," Khadgar said seriously. "I have no doubt that you have it within you to master all of your considerable abilities. Even the ones that you fear."

He stared down at her earnestly, and Auriana was surprised to see that the Archmage really did believe everything that he was saying.

"If you wish," she said reluctantly. "I can't guarantee that I'll change my mind, however."

"Of course," Khadgar said smoothly. "We shall have to see. Until then, however… I have heard rumour of several other items that we could use to bolster the ring's power… if you'd be so kind as to retrieve them? You've done such a marvellous job of tracking down artifacts for me so far..."

Auriana shook her head ruefully at Khadgar's boundless academic eagerness. It wasn't the first time that she had noticed, but there wasn't much that could dampen his single-minded passion for the secrets of the arcane. As much as Auriana herself was born to battle, Khadgar was born to the life of the mind, and she admittedly found his enthusiasm contagious. Her mood lifted in response, and she felt more like herself than she had in many days.

Of course, the thought of eventually  _wielding_  such an artifact was still disconcerting, but Auriana nevertheless resolved to do whatever it took to help Khadgar create his weapon, whether or not she was to become its final guardian. If Khadgar believed that the ring could hasten the defeat of the Iron Horde, then she would do everything in her power to bring the Archmage's plan to fruition.

"You're incorrigible," she said drily, by way of answer.

Auriana allowed genuine affection to warm her voice, and a slight smile played about her lips. Khadgar brightened, encouraged by the fact that she was still willing to act as his champion on Draenor.

"Is that a yes?" he asked, his eyes sparkling.

"You know I could never refuse you, Khadgar. I'm ever your humble servant," she said, throwing up her hands in surrender. "What do you need?"


	19. Auriana

Auriana and Khadgar spoke late into the night, discussing their plans for Draenor, and Blackrock Foundry in particular. The Foundry apparently held a number of artifacts important to Khadgar's continued hunt for Gul'Dan, as well as the infamous Warlord Blackhand. Auriana found it useful to have something to focus her attention on, and as the night wore on she felt some of her shaken confidence returning.

It was nearly midnight by the time she returned to Lunarfall, much to the consternation of Lieutenant Thorn. Auriana apologised profusely, explaining that she had been hard at work with Khadgar. Thorn had been somewhat mollified by Auriana's willingness to share the details of the strategic meeting, though it was another hour before Auriana finally collapsed into her warm and waiting bed.

Auriana got the best night's sleep she'd had in a long while, and it was late morning by the time she awoke. Auriana was grateful to Thorn and her chamber attendants for letting her sleep so late, though she was eager to get up and make amends to the brave soldiers of her garrison. She dressed quickly, choosing her best uniform and hoping it would lend her bravery and authority.

As promised, Thorn had called all the available soldiers to a parade assembly in the centre square of the garrison. Auriana thought they looked resplendent, and her heart burned with fierce pride at the sight of them. She was pleased, albeit somewhat nervous, to see many of the soldiers who had fought at Highmaul in the crowd, including Lieutenant Gale. Her men looked up at her expectantly, and Auriana felt her mouth go dry.

"I know many of you fought at Highmaul," she began, willing her voice not to tremble, "And that those of you who didn't have doubtless heard the rumours. I'd like to take this opportunity to make a few things clear."

Her men listened with rapt attention as Auriana began to explain what had happened when she had faced Imperator Mar'gok. She didn't miss the palpable tension that ran through the group as she explained the truth of her actions, but she was surprised to see far more curiosity than anger or fear on the faces of her men.

_I underestimated them, and their loyalty to me,_ she thought ruefully, realising that was precisely what Varian had been trying to tell her.

"I hope you understand why I did I what I did," she said finally, after the whole sorry tale was through, "And that you can forgive my inattention over the past week. You are the best of the Alliance, and you deserve the best leadership that I can provide. I cannot describe the pride and faith that I have in each and every one of you, and I hope that you will continue to serve as brilliantly as you have thus far. Together, we  _will_ destroy the Iron Horde, and bring glory and safety to the Alliance!"

To Auriana's astonishment, her troops took up the cry of the Alliance, and not a few of them were chanting her name. She blushed, more grateful for their support and acceptance than she could ever say.

"You are dismissed," she called, slightly embarrassed, though her tone was still warm.

Her troops crisply saluted as one, before making their way back to their various posts and duties, many of them talking animatedly. Auriana smiled to herself in relief, and turned to Lieutenant Thorn.

"Lamentably, I believe I have some paperwork to catch up on," she said. "If there's anyone who wishes to speak to me, send them right up, otherwise I believe I still have plenty to keep me busy."

"Yes, Commander," Thorn said. "Er… if I might speak freely?"

"Of course," Auriana said curiously.

"It takes strength to speak as honestly as you did today, Commander," Thorn said seriously. "I can't speak for everyone, but I know that I appreciate your candour."

"Well said, Thorn," Auriana said gently. "Thank you."

Thorn nodded, and turned smartly on her heel. Auriana watched her go, before making her way back up to her study. As she had anticipated, there was a veritable mountain of mission reports awaiting her attention, and there was little to do save for to dive right in.

Auriana worked diligently into the afternoon, barely pausing to eat as she pored over the reports. She was pleased to note that garrison operations had been running well since she'd been away fighting in Highmaul. In particular, Lunarfall had made excellent progress in the Spires of Arak, as well as southern Gorgrond. Auriana's confidence grew further as she worked, knowing that within a few short weeks she would be well positioned to begin her assault on Blackhand's territory.

A few hours before twilight, Auriana was interrupted by a group of three night elves that she recognised as the Druids of the Talon. Although ostensibly based on Mount Hyjal in Azeroth, several of the Druids had volunteered their services to the invasion of Draenor. Auriana had set the majority of the druids to work in Gorgrond, though many of their number had taken up residence within Lunarfall itself. Auriana was surprised at their presence, given that the group were self-sufficient, and largely considered themselves outside the official command structure of the Alliance.

Their leader, a blue-haired woman named Thisalee Crow, was the first to speak.

"Ishnu-alah, Commander," Crow said, her beautiful face serious. "I come to ask for your aid."

"How can Lunarfall be of assistance?" Auriana asked, settling back in her chair.

"What do you know of the magnaron?" Crow asked thoughtfully.

"As far as I'm aware, they are giants of molten stone, native to Draenor," Auriana said. "Very big, very dangerous."

"You are essentially correct," Thisalee said archly. "There are several known magnaron, including a particularly impressive beast named Gorgorek the Worldrender."

"The Worldrender… I read that somewhere," Auriana said thoughtfully, quickly rifling through her notes. "His body was found in Gorgrond."

"You are correct. Unfortunately, it appears the Iron Horde have been searching for a way to resurrect and control the monster," Crow said. "To that end, they have been seeking the Heart of Gorgorek."

"And?" Auriana said, her heart beating suddenly faster.

" _Fortunately_ , we were able to locate it first," Crow said proudly. "Despite some entanglements with the Iron Horde. It's downstairs in a chest as we speak."

"It's where?" Auriana asked, displeased that Crow had brought such a powerful artifact back to Lunarfall before asking for permission.

"There is no place on Draenor more secure from the Iron Horde than Lunarfall Garrison. I would ask that you allow us to store the heart here," Crow said determinedly.

"You said you had to fight the Iron Horde to obtain the relic," Auriana said cautiously. "Can you be certain that bringing the Heart here will not put Lunarfall at risk?"

"Our escape with the Heart was clean," Crow said firmly. "I doubt the Iron Horde would have tracked us here."

"How long do you intend to keep it here?" Auriana asked.

"Until we can find a way to destroy it, or use it," Crow said. "I won't allow the Iron Horde to raise Gorgorek."

Auriana frowned, deep in thought. She wasn't happy, but she had to admit that Crow had a point. Lunarfall  _was_  well defended, and there were few other places the Heart might be considered safe. Auriana knew the kind of damage the Iron Horde could do with control of a magnaron, and she reluctantly relented.

"Very well," she said. "Take it down to your druid's hollow, and see that it is well protected. Let me be clear, however, if harbouring this Heart puts Lunarfall at risk, I will insist that you take it elsewhere. Lunarfall is too important."

"Quite right, Commander," Crow said crisply. "Thank you."

"Don't make me regret this, Thisalee," Auriana called after her adamantly, as the druids turned and walked elegantly from her study.

* * *

After the druids had left, Auriana had continued to work late until the night. She had a gnawing sense of disquiet after the meeting, but she ignored it in favour of her heavy workload. Auriana eventually admitted defeat around midnight, though it took her a long time to fall asleep.

She was finally consumed by a deep, dreamless slumber, though her respite was short lived. A few hours before dawn, Auriana was roused by the wailing cry of Lunarfall's warhorns. She snapped into consciousness almost immediately, her muscles tense and ready. She sat up in the pitch black of her quarters, with only the quiet sound of her own breathing breaking the still night air. The cry of the horn faded, and for a second Auriana thought she might have imagined the sound, only to have her stomach tighten as she heard a second horn blare to life.

Auriana threw the sheets off her legs and raced from the room, pausing only to yank on a pair of boots and a mage staff. She would have preferred her ensorcelled dagger, but she'd given it to the smithy for repair, and so the staff would have to do.

She burst outside, still in her loose linen nightclothes, only to see her garrison in chaos. The night air was alive with the sound of warhorns, though it was taking some time for her garrison to wake. In the distance, Auriana saw the bright light of fiery torches marching relentlessly towards the main gates, and her heart clenched in anger.

"Lunarfall stands!" Auriana cried, amplifying her voice with magic. "Alliance, to arms!"

Many people took up the cry, and soon the chaos intensified as the entire garrison was roused awake. The war horns continued to blare as more guard posts took up the cry. Auriana watched her garrison come alive, her mind racing as she barked orders at her nearby soldiers. Her hands were shaking, so furious was she at the audacity of the Iron Horde to attack her  _here_ , of all places.

Both Lieutenant Thorn and Lieutenant Gale ran up behind her as she worked. Thorn was already in her worgen form, her dark eyes taking on the feral gleam of a wolf, while Gale had pulled his weapons free. Thorn shoved a leather breastplate into Auriana's hands, and she gratefully fastened it over her chest as she spoke. She would have liked to be more appropriately attired, but she didn't really have time to go upstairs and dress fully when an attack was so imminent.

"How many fighting men do we have in the garrison at the moment?" she asked Thorn quickly.

"Only about five hundred," Thorn answered. "Most of the bulk of our forces have been deployed to Nagrand or Ashran."

"Damn. Well, we'll have to make good with what we've got. It's going to be impossible to estimate enemy numbers in the dark," Auriana muttered. "Alright. Gale, organise a defense on the two main gates, and get some archers up on those walls. Thorn, I'd like you to see to the evacuation of the civilians. Get them into the mines. If any of them…"

"Rylaks!" someone screamed nearby, cutting her off.

Auriana looked up at once, and saw patches of the starry sky go dark as the great swooping beasts descending menacingly upon Lunarfall. Thorn snarled beside her, unsheathing her claws, and Gale lifted his blades defiantly.

"Get moving! You have your orders," Auriana commanded fiercely. "The rylaks are mine."

Auriana hesitated for the briefest second, her fear over embracing her power rearing its ugly head, when she realised that right now her men needed every drop of magic that she could summon. She grit her teeth, brutally beating down her own terror, and shot a great arcane torrent into the air. The purple beam lit up the night like a bolt of lightning, and Auriana staggered in shock as she realised that the air above Lunarfall was absolutely  _crawling_  with the serpentine beasts. Her spell took a single rylak in the chest, sending the creature and its rider tumbling to the ground.

_One down_ , Auriana thought savagely.

She began to cast in earnest, shooting powerful spells at anything that moved above her. She stayed away from the use of fire, not only because it wasn't her strongest magical ability, but because it was the magic that she now associated with her unfettered rage. Fortunately, it seemed her barrage of frost and arcane was quite enough to create a problem for the Iron Horde. The rylak riders soon realised that Auriana was the cause of most of their problems, and they began targeting  _her_ with their attacks. She was forced to retreat behind the barracks for cover, gritting her teeth in frustration as she tried to get an angle on the rylak attackers from her compromised position.

As it always did when Auriana was fighting, time seemed to have slowed down. She nearly jumped out of her skin when someone slid down behind her, only to recognise that it was Delvar Ironfist who had found her hiding place. Like her, it looked as if he'd been roused from a deep sleep, and had only managed to haphazardly assemble the core pieces of his plate.

"Bastards!" Ironfist growled, grasping the haft of his axe in agitation.

"Who are they?" Auriana asked, trying to make out a clan insignia in the darkness.

"Burnin' Blade," Ironfist said. "Killed one before. They're lead by some nasty lookin' she-orc."

"Why are they here?" Auriana wondered out loud, still casting furiously.

"They're Horde! Do they need an excuse for causin' trouble?"

"No, but their numbers are too few. They have to know Lunarfall is too well defended to fall to a force of this size..." she said angrily. "They want something, and I'll wager you anything it's that damn Heart the druids found up in Gorgrond. It appears Thisalee's escape was not as unnoticed as she believed."

Ironfist opened his mouth to reply, but he was cut off as a felled rylak slammed into the wall above their head. He grabbed Auriana by her arm and threw her forward, and they both narrowly avoided being crushed by the fallen beast.

"Delvar… go protect the Heart. Don't let them get away," she ordered, panting heavily.

Ironfist hesitated, clearly unwilling to leave Auriana's side. He was a faithful bodyguard, but sometimes Auriana wished he'd be more willing to follow orders.

"What are ye goin' ta do?" he asked edgily.

"I'm going to find their leader," Auriana snarled, springing to her feet and racing forwards. "Go!"

Ironfist followed her immediately, though he reluctantly split off and headed for the druid hollow upon her orders. Auriana herself ran for the main gate, cutting down any orc she could find as she hunted for the Burning Blade warlord.

As it turned out, the warlord wasn't hard to find. She was a tall, imposing orc with heavy armour and an impressive, hooked edge blade that shone in the reflected glow of fire and moonlight. Auriana snarled as she summoned a frost shield and blinked forwards, appearing right in front of her orc counterpart.

The orc recognised her presence almost immediately, and lifted her sword with a savage grin. The warlord let out a harsh laugh as she beheld Auriana, with her loose hair, haphazardly placed leather armour, and hastily pulled on boots.

"So this is who the mighty Alliance sends against me?" the she-orc demanded. "Some tiny wench in her nightclothes?"

"Oh, I think you'll find that I'm more than a match for you, orc," Auriana said darkly. "No matter what I'm wearing."

"I have heard of you, Commander. The other clans speak of an other-worlder mage in feared whispers. They are weak," she sneered. " _I_  find you considerably less impressive than described."

"I'm sorry, who are you?" Auriana said innocently, raising her eyebrows.

"Who am I?" she demanded, and Auriana was pleased to see that she looked supremely offended. "I am Azuka Bladefury, daughter of Dharl of the Thrice-Bloodied Blade, and warlord of the Burning Blade clan, and I will be your death."

"I can't tell you how many times I've heard that," Auriana said drily, "I'd tell you to ask your comrades who have tried to stand against me, but… well, most of them are dead."

Azuka growled and raised her magnificent blade. Auriana lifted her staff defensively, and waved her hand to bringing two surging water elementals into existence. The water elementals appeared, but the summoning was markedly more sluggish than usual. Auriana frowned, and she was disquieted by the look of sudden triumph on Azuka's face.

She realised with a sinking heart that Azuka had come prepared to fight the Commander of Lunarfall specifically. The warlord, it would seem, had some means of generating a magical dampening field to inhibit Auriana's magic. Auriana quickly glanced around for the source of the interference, but she couldn't see anything immediately out of place. She frowned in frustration, but she refused to be beaten by such an underhanded trick. A dampening field wasn't impossible to overcome, particularly when it wasn't particularly strong, but Auriana knew she would have to be careful without the full strength of her power to bring to bear.

Outwardly, Auriana tried to keep her face calm. She was reasonably skilled with her staff, but she would unable overcome a genuine blademaster in the melee.

"For the Warchief!" Azuka screamed suddenly, and hurled herself at Auriana.

Auriana immediately threw up a great wall of ice and Azuka ploughed into it, sending shards of ice flying everywhere. Auriana felt the dampening field pull at her magic as she cast. She knew that she would easily get tired if she had to work against it for long, and she resolved to end the fight quickly.

The two powerful women were soon locked in a serious fight, trading blows back and forth with furious abandon. Auriana kept herself moving, trying to keep the water elementals between her and Azuka. The blademaster's sword was wicked, and Auriana didn't want to find out if her staff would be able to stand up against a blow from the mighty sword. At one point, she dodged too slowly, and she screamed as the hooked edge of the blade scraped across her upper arm. She felt blood run down her arm, and suddenly her grip on her mage staff became slippery. Fortunately, it seemed that the cut was shallow, though Auriana knew she could have just as easily lost a limb.

Azuka was fast and strong, but Auriana was clever, and well-practiced in fighting enemy swordsmen. Despite her skill, Azuka was aggressive and easily frustrated, and Auriana punished her for it relentlessly. She tricked the warlord up with shifting walls of ice and powerful frost bolts, dancing away whenever she-orc got close. Auriana could feel herself flagging as the fight wore on, her blows less powerful than they might have otherwise been, but she knew that she was gradually overcoming the defences in Azuka's armour.

Azuka soon came to a similar realisation. The orc warlord growled in frustration, and her swings became increasingly reckless. Despite her handicap, Auriana refused to give an inch, and met Azuka blow for blow. Finally, Auriana was able to push her back. Azuka stumbled, leaning heavily on her sword for balance, as Auriana prepared an icy death blow.

"I won't forget this, mage," Azuka panted. "We'll meet again, I promise you."

Auriana hesitated, confused, and was forced to her knees as she was suddenly swooped by a low flying rylak. Azuka instantly leapt up onto the beast's back, shouting loudly in orcish. Around the garrison, the Burning Blade troops retreated instantly, some fleeing for the gates while others were picked up by the remaining rylaks. The Lunarfall men picked off the stragglers, but many of the invaders were able to escape out into the dark night.

Auriana shouted wordlessly as she realised that the great chest containing the Heart of Gorgorek was secured against the side of Azuka's rylak, a rylak that was now nearly invisible as it gathered speed away from the garrison. She slammed her fist into the ground in frustration, before using her staff to regather her feet.

She whirled to as she heard a sound to her left, glowering as she recognised Delvar Ironfist, Thisalee Crow, and Lieutenant Gale.

"What the hell happened?" Auriana demanded, her eyes blazing with fury. "They took the damn Heart!"

Both Ironfist and Gale recoiled slightly at the look on her face, and Auriana realised that they were slightly afraid. Auriana was utterly furious that the Iron Horde had forced their way into the heart of Lunarfall, but no good would come of scaring her men. She closed her eyes and exhaled, choking down her rage and forcing herself to remain calm.

"You assured me you weren't followed, Thisalee," Auriana said coldly. "How is it that my garrison lies burning, and the Iron Horde are now in possession of the Heart of Gorgorek?"

"They were too swift," Crow said, her normally lilting night elf accent now dull. "They distracted us at the front while two of their number snuck in and took the Heart from under us. They came straight for us."

Auriana shook her head, but she knew there was little point in berating Crow further.

"Send your scouts to track them  _immediately_ , Crow," she ordered. "I want to know where they're going. In the meantime, our first priority is re-establishing garrison security. Gale, ensure that the wounded are provided for, and all our available archers on the walls. I won't have us undefended if they attempt another attack."

She looked over at Ironfist.

"Rally whatever able bodied men you can. I want a patrol to establish a five mile perimeter. If there are any orcs in the vicinity, I want their heads," she said savagely. "I will…"

Auriana's orders were abruptly cut off by an anguished, unearthly howl from the north.

"I'll see to it," she said quickly. "You have your orders."

Ironfist, Gale, and Crow all nodded, none of them willing to argue. For her part, Auriana raced towards the sound, her heart thundering in her ears. She skidded to a stop outside the town hall, only to see Lieutenant Thorn crouched over a still form. The Lieutenant was still in her full worgen form, and Auriana was alarmed to see dark blood matting her fur.

Auriana was more concerned, however, by the open grief upon the usually stoic Lieutenant's face. Auriana's own heart clenched as she recognised the body of her garrison architect, Baros Alexston. Alexston was a well-liked and well respected member of the garrison, and Auriana's heart turned cold as the reality of his death settled upon her. Far too late, Auriana also realised that there must have been something between him and Thorn, for nothing else could have caused the raw pain now evident on the Lieutenant's face.

"What happened?" she asked, gently kneeling beside her second.

"He… he took a dagger meant for me," Thorn manage brokenly. "He saved my life."

"I… I'm so sorry," Auriana said, the words ringing hollow even as they left her mouth.

Thorn ignored Auriana's quiet platitude, instead clutching Alexston's lifeless hand to her chest. The worgen woman threw back her head and howled again, the sound echoing mournfully off the stone walls of the nearby buildings. Auriana knew that there was nothing she could say. She sat back on her heels, staring dully out over the terrible damage done to her beloved garrison, and closed her eyes as she realised that she'd scarcely felt so useless in her life.


	20. Auriana

Auriana didn't sleep again that night, instead staying awake to see to the recovery of Lunarfall after the invasion of the Burning Blade. Although terribly concerned about Lieutenant Thorn, Auriana was reluctantly forced to attend to her duties elsewhere. At her command, the forests surrounding Lunarfall had been thoroughly searched, leading to the capture of a number of straggling orcs. They had been immediately confined to the Lunarfall stockades, where they would be kept awaiting interrogation.

The corpses of dead orcs were quickly piled up and unceremoniously burnt, though the fallen Lunarfall soldiers were treated far more reverentially. Their bodies, including the brave Baros Alexston's, were carefully ordered and covered with shrouds, ready for transportation back to Azeroth. There was no graveyard at Lunarfall. Instead, Auriana always saw to it that the bodies of Alliance servicemen were sent home to their families.

Mercifully, there had been less casualties than she had thought there might be, and none of them had been civilians. It seemed as if the Burning Blade had been more concerned with the Heart than anything else, and had slipped in and out of Lunarfall like lightning. Most of the damage had been done to the structures of Lunarfall by the rampaging rylaks, and Auriana knew it would take some time to rebuild. She organised her able-bodied troops to clean up the garrison, clearing away the debris and fallen masonry, and shoring up the most dangerous areas. The last thing Auriana needed was for a wall to collapse upon her men while they were trying to re-establish Lunarfall's defenses.

Most of her soldiers were exhausted from the late hour and the fighting, and Auriana was careful to organise her men into work groups and spell them when necessary. She gave no such quarter to herself, however, pointedly ignoring the burn of tiredness behind her eyes. Auriana couldn't shake the anger and sheer personal  _offense_ that she felt at having her garrison attacked, and she would be unable to rest until she was satisfied that Lunarfall was safe. She had paused only to bandage her wounded arm roughly, and she refused all offers of relief as she worked tirelessly into the bright light of day and on into the afternoon. It was twilight by the time Auriana allowed herself to stop. She had channeled all her anger and pain into the recovery effort, but it seemed as if she had barely tapped into the simmering ball of emotions that lay heavily in her stomach.

As the first stars began to twinkle in the endless Draenor sky, Auriana finally ordered her men to stand down. There was still work to be done, but Auriana was mostly satisfied with the progress that had been made, and instead turned her attention to mourning. Although there was no graveyard at Lunarfall, there was a well-tended memorial. It was a simple thing, more a collection of rocks than anything else, but it was made with real love. Each rock in the memorial had been inscribed with the name of a dead soldier, and placed with great care and reverence. As the dull purple twilight faded into the true back of night, Auriana lead group of her men in a solemn candlelight vigil to say farewell to those who had fallen in the invasion.

Auriana always added the rocks to the memorial herself, after every great battle, so that she might never forget the true cost of war. She led a quick and simple service for the few assembled soldiers, knowing that nothing she could say would ever be truly adequate. Most of those in attendance were the closest friends of those deceased, chief among their number Lieutenant Thorn. Auriana spoke quietly but earnestly, thanking each of the fallen soldiers for their service and commending them into the Light. She was no priest, but she hoped that her genuinely heartfelt prayer might be enough to protect the souls of her fallen men as they made their final journey.

After Auriana had finished speaking, the morose crowd slowly dissipated, until Auriana stood almost alone. She looked surreptitiously to her left, and saw that Lieutenant Thorn also remained, staring fixedly at the small grey rock bearing Baros Alexston's name. The Lieutenant was still in her worgen form, and Auriana realised with a start that she had not returned to her human state since the invasion.

"I'm sorry," Auriana said uncertainly. "I didn't realise that you and Baros were close. He died bravely."

She kept her eyes focused forward, knowing that Thorn would not likely appreciate any overt displays of sympathy.

"I appreciate your concern, Commander," Thorn growled stiffly.

Auriana sighed. She couldn't exactly criticise others for not showing emotion, but even  _she_  could recognise that Thorn's repression of her feelings was likely unhealthy.

"It isn't wrong to grieve, Thorn," she said, frowning.

Thorn simply grunted, but to Auriana's surprise, she spoke again a moment later.

"He was… sweet," Thorn said, her voice almost a whisper. "All he wanted was to care for me. I was flattered, but convinced myself that I didn't have time for the distraction of a romantic entanglement. I… I regret it."

Auriana turned her head at Thorn's admission, surprised by her sudden candour. The Lieutenant's bowed head was illuminated by the flickering glow of her torch, and in her worgen form she looked terribly grim and sad. Auriana's heart broke for the Lieutenant, and she wondered if Thorn would ever truly recover from such profound regret.

"I really am sorry, Thorn," Auriana said, unsure of what else she could possibly say. "I think it would be prudent for you to take a day off from your duties tomorrow."

"It's quite alright, Commander," Thorn said, straightening her back. "I will not abandon my post."

"I would hardly consider taking time to grieve abandonment. Please, Thorn. I insist. Take the time to honour his memory," Auriana said, both stern and compassionate. "As much as I consider you invaluable, the garrison won't fall apart in a single day without you."

"Very well, Commander," Thorn sighed, relenting more easily than Auriana might have suspected. "If you don't mind, I'll take my leave now, then."

"Of course," Auriana murmured, her eyes following Thorn as she retreated into the darkness.

Auriana didn't follow Thorn right away, instead keeping her own silent vigil over the Lunarfall memorial. She read each name silently to herself, recalling the faces of each and every one of her men who had given their lives for the Alliance. She didn't know how long she stood there, reminiscing sadly on the past, though at some point the names of her men blended with those of the others whom she had lost, including Kinzie Swiftspanner, her parents, and her dear friend Darion Hailey.

As she lost herself in her troubled thoughts, Auriana abruptly came to the realisation that she and Thorn were remarkably alike. Both of them tended to have a single-minded focus on duty, shunning any open display of emotion, and now it appeared that they had both let their fear and stubborn natures get in the way of their own happiness. The complicated relationship between Thorn and Alexston bore an uncanny resemblance to Auriana's relationship with Darion, and, she realised with a start, her relationship with  _Varian_.

While Auriana was unable to deny her feelings for the King, she had sought to bury them deep, much like Thorn had done with her feelings for Baros Alexston. Lieutenant Thorn, however, would now never get the chance to change her mind, and the thought hit Auriana like a battering ram. Her heart quickened as she probed her own emotions, and she slowly came to the realisation that she never wanted to be standing in Thorn's position again, grieving endlessly over what might have been.

As a woman who prized control above all things, it was somewhat of a surreal experience to be seriously considering abandoning all her dearly held principles and carefully constructed barriers for the sake of her wild heart, but Auriana finally realised that some things – some  _people_  – were worth the risk. For the first time, Auriana's fear of losing Varian overcame her fear of fully embracing him, and she realised there was only one place in the entire universe that she truly wanted to be. It took all the courage that she had, but Auriana nevertheless gathered all her power and teleported herself home to Stormwind.

* * *

Much to her embarrassment, she burst in upon the Varian and Anduin as they were taking dinner. In her sleep deprived state and with her desperation to speak to the King, she hadn't really thought about what time it was in Stormwind. Like the watchful warrior he was, Varian shot to his feet as she rematerialised, his eyes widening in great surprise as he recognised her.

"Auriana!" he exclaimed. "I… what are you doing here?"

"I'm sorry to intrude," she said quickly, "But I was wondering if we might speak. Er… alone."

Her bone weariness combined strangely with her nervous excitement, and Auriana suddenly felt almost giddy.

"I…" Varian started reluctantly, only to be cut off by Anduin.

"We were just finishing up, anyway," the Prince interjected smoothly. "I have some ah… reading… to do."

"Thank you, Your Highness," Auriana said gratefully, well aware of the fact that Anduin was granting her the time she needed to speak to his father.

The Prince acknowledged her with a friendly nod and made his way from the room without further comment, save for a significant sideways glance at his father. Varian watched his son go, his face unreadable. For a long moment, neither the King nor the Commander spoke.

"You look terrible," he said finally, turning to face her.

He folded his arms across his barrel chest, his gaze pointedly travelling from her wild hair and the heavy dark circles under her eyes, to the hastily bandaged wound on her arm.

"I haven't slept in… oh, about twenty hours," Auriana said wearily. "The Iron Horde attacked Lunarfall last night."

"What?" Varian demanded, his brow furrowing. "What happened?"

"We recovered an artifact of some significance in Gorgrond. The Burning Blade were none too pleased, and conducted a raid to retrieve it," she explained.

"Casualties?" the King asked seriously.

"Less than there could have been," Auriana said. "Lunarfall is well defended, but they came in the early morning, we were largely caught unawares. As I said… it wasn't an invasion, but rather a raid. They retrieved the artifact and left."

"I assume you'll be hunting them down?" Varian asked.

"Of course," Auriana said darkly. "No one attacks the heart of the Alliance on Draenor without reprisal."

"As it should be. It seems as if you have everything well in hand, so I must ask… why are you here, Auriana?" Varian asked, his sharp eyes narrowing. "I appreciate your concern for your garrison, but surely you didn't need to come all this way at night just to discuss the attack… such a discussion could have waited until morning, and you likely needn't have come in person."

"No, you're quite right. I didn't need to come all this way. I… uh… I actually came here to say something else," Auriana said slowly.

She took a deep breath, gathered her courage and walked slowly towards her King. Varian went very still at her approach, the tension in his powerful muscles visible even through his tunic. Auriana moved until she was barely an inch away from him, reaching up with a shaky hand to gently touch the line of his strong jaw. Varian's breathing quickened, and he gently clasped her hand with his own. Auriana paused, only to throw caution to the wind a second later as she rose on her toes to kiss him.

Varian growled against her mouth, and drew her hungrily into his embrace. Auriana kissed him fiercely, and she eventually lost track of time. The only thing in the world to her right then was  _him_ , and Auriana didn't doubt that seasons could have passed outside without her knowledge. Varian, too, seemed lost in their passion, until he abruptly pulled back, his strong features clouding in confusion.

"Stop," he said heavily, carefully holding her at arm's length. "What are you doing? You can't just use me for comfort every time something goes wrong in your life, and then disappear the next day, knowing how I feel about you. It isn't  _fair_ , Auriana."

" _No_ ," she protested vehemently, stepping back and withdrawing her hand. "No, no, you're right, it isn't fair. But... that isn't why I'm here."

She sighed, but gave him a small, hopeful smile.

"I know what I'm good at, Varian, and it isn't… well, this..." she said slowly, trying to gather her thoughts. "I can stare down a pit lord or a lich without batting an eye, but when it comes to my own heart… I must confess that I'm afraid."

She shifted her weight nervously from foot to foot and stared down at her hands.

"Sometimes I wish that I was someone like Anduin, or Kinzie. That… that I was someone open, and trusting, and unafraid of the depth of my own feelings. I've always been… well, cold, I guess, but after Theramore… I was worse. I thought it easier to remain closed. People leave. People let you down. People… die."

Varian opened his mouth to reply, but Auriana held up a hand.

"Please," she said pleadingly. "Let me speak. I'll never get it all out otherwise. Theramore… Theramore broke my heart. I lost  _everything_  that day, and I never wanted to feel that way again. I thought the answer was to become hard, so that I would never again feel such pain. It's the same way I've dealt with my fury, by shutting down and closing myself off."

Auriana realised that she was rambling somewhat, but she was determined to make Varian understand.

"If you remember… my friend Darion… he loved me, I think, but I could never bring myself to take a chance on him. He tried so hard make me see what I was missing, but I was too stubborn and fearful to understand. After he died… I should have honoured his memory, I should have learned the lesson he was trying to teach me, but I didn't, and I've come so close to once again making the same mistake."

Auriana shook her head, irritated by her own recalcitrance.

"I've had plenty of chances to learn, but it wasn't until today that I realised… being hard doesn't help. Holding myself back from the people that I… that I care about doesn't make losing them hurt any less. It just means I miss out on all the good," she said quietly.

She looked up at Varian hopefully, praying that he would understand what she was trying to express so stumblingly.

"I don't understand. I thought you turned me down because you had concerns about my being the King," he said stiffly.

"Excuses," she said truthfully, waving a hand. "Well… that isn't precisely true. Everything I said to you in that room is still relevant, I suppose, but… I wasn't being entirely honest. The truth is, you scare me more than anyone I've ever met, and yet… I find that I can't walk away."

Auriana smiled tentatively, and titled her head to one side.

"The night that we spent together… was the best night of my life," she said sincerely. "I shouldn't have hesitated afterwards as I did, and I certainly shouldn't have run from you. You think I would have learned, after Darion… after I missed out on something that could have been wonderful."

She shook her head ruefully.

"I don't want to do that again. I don't want to miss out on… on you…" she said, her voice barely a whisper.

Varian stepped forwards, breathing heavily. She placed a soft hand on his chest, holding him at arm's length.

"Don't toy with me, Auriana," he growled.

"I'm not," she said quietly. "I want this. I want  _you._ "

"I'm still the king," Varian pointed out. "That hasn't changed."

"I know… and I have some... conditions, I guess you'd call them. If we do this, it's a secret. No-one finds out. I've worked very hard to get to where I am and I'll not risk my command. You don't send me flowers, or tokens of your affection, or treat me some fragile little snowflake of a noblewoman. You treat me just the same as any of your other commanders. I am who I am, Varian, and I'm very good at what I do. I won't change that for anyone, not even you. I won't ever stop fighting, and you'll just have to learn to live with that," she said firmly. "And if you can't… well…"

Auriana could feel the colour rising in her cheeks, and she gazed up at him defiantly. If he refused, she knew it would break her, but she had finally come to understand that she would rather have taken the chance than to have forever wondered.

"Can I say something now?" Varian interrupted, raising an eyebrow at her rambling tirade.

He caught her hand, and pulled it away from his chest. He took a final step forwards, until they were once against standing toe to toe.

"You are stubborn, and pigheaded, and far too guarded," he said.

Auriana blinked in surprise. Of all the things she had suspected he might say, she hadn't prepared herself for  _that_.

"All true," she stammered, "But I don't see…"

"You are the most incomprehensible, frustrating person I have ever met," Varian continued.

"I… I honestly don't know what to say to that," she said nervously, ducking her head.

"Oh, I think it is well and truly time that you stopped talking," Varian growled firmly.

Auriana frowned, confused, only to have her heart leap wildly a second later as he took her face gently in both hands, and kissed her passionately. She matched his desperate ardour with her own, tangling her hands wantonly in his long hair.

As before, it was some time before they broke apart, each breathing heavily.

"Is that… what does that mean?" she said breathlessly.

"My beautiful, impossible woman… does it really need to be said?" Varian said roughly, his face more serious than Auriana had ever seen.

She grinned up at him shyly, lifting with tentative joy. Varian smiled broadly in return, and for the first time Auriana saw a resemblance between the King and his bright young son. He instantly looked years younger, and Auriana realised that she very much wanted to make him smile that way as often as she could. Varian wrapped her gently in his arms, and Auriana rested her head gratefully on his chest. As his strong and steady heartbeat sounded against her ear, Auriana felt an unfamiliar sense of peace wash over her.

"You should know," Varian said softly, "In the interest of full disclosure… both Jaina and Anduin are aware that our relationship is not... strictly platonic."

"What?" Auriana asked, shifting in his arms slightly. "I had thought you might tell Anduin, given… well, given that he's your son, but… Jaina…"

"I apologise. I promise you, I didn't say a word… rather both guessed. I am apparently more obvious than I believe myself to be," Varian said regretfully. "Jaina is, however, one of my oldest friends. She said she would keep our secret, and I believe her. Does… does that change things for you?"

Auriana frowned and bit her lip. She, too, trusted Jaina's character, but the thought of someone else knowing about her personal affairs was disquieting. Varian looked down at her worriedly, and Auriana was surprised to see genuine fear in his eyes. Not so long ago, even a  _week_ ago, Auriana might have been tempted to use Varian's confession as an excuse to run away, but she was now determined to see this relationship through to wherever it may lead.

"No," she said, letting out a long, slow breath. "It doesn't. I can't say that I would consider it ideal, but… no, this doesn't change things. I want you, Varian."

Varian looked unconvinced, and so she reached up once more to kiss him, hoping to impress on him that she had no intention of running. Her kiss was evidently persuasive, however, for when she finally pulled away, Varian was smiling once more. To her great surprise, he reached down and scooped her up into his arms. He lifted her into the air as if she weighed nothing, and Auriana wrapped her arms around his neck in delight.

"So," Varian said seriously, though his eyes were unusually bright. "You mentioned that our last night together was the best night of your life. Is that correct?"

Auriana's cheeks warmed and she buried her head in his shoulder, making Varian laugh. He took off determinedly for his bedchambers, and Auriana felt herself thrill at the thought. Her tiredness suddenly vanished, replaced by a heated yearning that threatened to set her blood on fire. The heat in her veins only intensified as Varian looked down at her a moment later and grinned wickedly.

"I'm going to take that as a challenge," he said, his deep voice rumbling in his chest. "Let's see if we can do better, shall we?"


End file.
